Omiai Kekkon
by Aki no Ryu
Summary: Arranged marriages, though no longer as common, was still an accepted tradition. But a marriage arrangement without time given for the couple to get to know each other and make a decision? Not so much.
1. Prologue

Arranged marriages, though not as common anymore, was still an accepted tradition. But a marriage arrangement without time given for the couple to get to know each other and make a decision? Not so much.

* * *

"I agree, my friend. It is time." Despite the ocean which separated them, the same thought was in both men's minds – the clock was quickly winding down.

 **Omiai Kekkon**

 **Part 1**

 **~o~o~o~**

 **Prologue**

Aihara Kotoko, only child and heiress of the Aihara family, skipped down the steps with her purse in tow. Her manners bellied the fact that she was already 20 years old and a sophomore at Tonan University. She greeted her father a cheerful good morning as she slid into her seat for breakfast.

It was a morning like any other but little did she know how much her life would change in just a few short hours.

 **~o~o~o~**

"You knew this was coming, son."

"Yes, but not this soon, Father!" Irie Naoki slumped against Shigeki's desk in defeat. He wiped a hand over his face. "When?"

"You'll meet Kotoko-chan next week."

 **~o~o~o~**

"Tadaima!" The loud proclamation rang through the house.

"Okaeri." Aihara Shigeo greeted his daughter as she entered the house. Kotoko kissed his cheek then made her way to the kitchen where she prepared a snack for both of them, an after-school tradition they both enjoyed.

Snacks and desserts she could manage. Her dishes and meals however, were to be avoided at all costs. Nevertheless, the fact that her food was inedible didn't stop Kotoko from attempting the impossible.

"How was your day at the restaurant, 'tousan?" She asked.

They had several restaurants but Shigeo was almost always at the first one, the one he had built with his own sweat and blood, the one which first established _Aihara_ as a name in the culinary scene.

"I didn't go to the restaurant today."

"Oh?" She munched on a pastry as she waited for him to elaborate.

"Kotoko, I need to tell you something important." Suddenly, Kotoko was struck by how weary and _old_ her father looked.

 **~o~o~o~**

He was a fighter, a self-made man who backed down at nothing life threw at him. He was sixteen when he knew what he wanted to do. Twenty-two when it was realized. He had fought for the dream of owning his own business—no small feat for someone who had had no formal education beyond high school—and he persevered and won. He built a small restaurant empire that would have made his family proud, if there were parents or brothers or sisters to appreciate it. He battled others for the love of the town sweetheart and together they had a gregarious child who thrived as the apple of her parents' eyes. Then his beloved wife died and he was left with the challenge of raising their daughter as a single father. Again he rose to the challenge.

Each and every hurdle and obstacle life threw his way, he never backed down. But there are circumstances that even his indomitable spirit can't overcome.

Now his daughter would be alone in the world. Kotoko, who was a little naïve and a whole lot innocent to the evils of the world. He had to make sure she would be alright even when he was gone.

 **~o~o~o~**

She sat stunned, feeling her life had just crumbled around her in the long moments it took for her father to reveal the truth. His health, the pact he had with his best friend, and how everything had changed. In a few days she would meet the man she was to marry.

"Please forgive me, Kotoko."

"Otousan..."

"Please believe that I'm doing this for you."

"I don't want to marry! Let me take care of you. I can quit college. Let's go to live in the country so you can get better. Yes, let's do that!"

"No, Kotoko! There's nothing else we can do. The doctors have tried everything."

He knew he should have told Kotoko a lot sooner so she would be prepared for the inevitable. But he was selfish. He had wanted her to live without worrying about him for as long as possible. She was an adult but she was also his child and he wanted to protect her for as long as he can. But his health could only last so long so he was finally entrusting his daughter to Irie Shigeki, his best friend, the 'Uncle Shigeki' Kotoko had heard a lot about but could hardly remember meeting as the Iries had been living abroad.

The Aihara Group of Restaurants was to be hers, with a large portion of their monies invested in Pandai, Inc., Iri-chan's company.

When they were a lot younger, Kotoko and Naoki had been promised to each other. He and Iri-chan had of course wanted the children to have the chance to become friends and court properly but with the circumstance and his health failing fast, Shigeo wanted Kotoko's future secured immediately.

He knew that his beloved daughter would be welcomed as one of their own in the Irie household.

Kotoko and Naoki had been friends when they were children, they could be so again.

She fought and cried but he was adamant. It was his last wish, to see her married. Powerless in the face of her father's pleading, she could do nothing but agree.

 **~o~o~o~**

She met him, Naoki, her future husband. At an intellectual level she knew it was all real, the whirlwind of changes that were happening in her life, but it felt surreal, as if she was just a bystander watching on the sidelines as this young woman who had her face became engaged to a virtual stranger. A _handsome genius_ , but a stranger just the same. He seemed to be the quiet type and he didn't speak beyond the formalities the occasion required. The only times he spoke off-script was when he first greeted them upon their entrance and to inquire after her father's health – and could she have imagined it? – there was concern in his eyes. Her father had clapped him on the back and told him that he was as well as could be – but Kotoko now knew it to be a lie.

 **~o~o~o~**

This then was his future bride? This slip of a girl who looked like she was barely out of high school? Her family might be worth a fortune but she certainly didn't act like someone in the upper circles. For starters, she was too expressive. Weren't Japanese women supposed to be demure? The way she had also narrowly avoided face-planting at his feet as soon as she entered the room reinforced the fact that this Aihara Kotoko was _not_ the type of woman he would have even imagined spending the rest of his life with.

But as fate would have it, _he_ was the heir to Pandia, Incorporated and as such, it was his duty to marry well. At least the girl was rather pretty in a sweet and fresh-faced kind of way— _although_ at times her looks were overshadowed by the faraway expression that would come over her. Naoki sighed internally.

The wedding ceremony was to be during the semester break, one week away.

* * *

A/N:

Tada! I'm doing it! I'm really doing it! A multi-chapter! Craaazy! But I _have_ written out this story. It's complete and I'll be probably be posting once a week.

I was browsing through my InaK drafts, looking for material to upload for She Said No when I reread this. I had already done a barebones draft of this story with the major scenes already typed up months ago. I had about 4 pages of content. Well, I have a quiz coming up so what better use of my time than to continue working on this story which I haven't touched in foreeever, right? I mean, there's no time like the present! So here you have it, some 8,000 words and 16 pages later, I present to you Omiai Kekkon.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter 1**

It was the first time they had a minute alone since the day began. Naoki cleared his throat.

"Listen, this is an omiai and I'm sure we can both agree that it's not the most ideal situation. I hate women who fawn over me so so far I'm glad that's not the case with you. Let's just live peacefully minding our own respective business and we'll be fine."

Kotoko stuck out her hand for him to shake. "I hate cold, indifferent people but in this case I think I'd prefer it so that's perfectly fine by me."

 **~o~o~o~**

 ** _One week later_**

After a long day of ceremony and feasting, here they were, alone in the well appointed honeymoon suite of an exclusive resort and it was beyond uncomfortable.

Naoki stood facing the window, the beautiful spring blooms lost on him as he stared at the glass which reflected the room behind him. Kotoko was standing in the periphery of the room, her arms crossed over her chest. She had showered and her hair was still slightly damp, her face scrubbed clean from the wedding makeup. She looked even younger and more delicate without it. The blush pink pajama set she wore highlighted how small and innocent she looked. He could tell she was nervous by the way she kept shifting her weight from foot to foot and clasping and unclasping her hands. It was also evident by the way she looked everywhere but at him.

He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. This wasn't easy for either of them but it had to be worse for her. Despite his cold words to her at their first meeting the week before, he wasn't a complete jerk. Deciding that anything was better than this awkward standoff, he turned and faced his new bride.

She nearly jumped when he spoke.

"Kotoko."

"Yes?" Her voice was barely a whisper, an interesting contrast to the way she practically bubbled over when she was interacting with others.

"Let's talk." He waved his hand toward the couch next to him. She looked uncertain of what to do but she nodded and sat down. Naoki chose to take the armchair catty corner from her.

He cleared his throat, unsure how to begin but knowing it was better if they talked. "I know I've been 'standoffish' as you accurately described but I want you to know that I am sorry about your father," he began. Kotoko looked surprised, clearly not expecting that. "I have heard of the arrangement between our fathers through the years but never thought it would actually happen. I—"

"At least you had some warning," Kotoko said with a hint of bitterness. "I didn't know until just before the first meeting." She looked at him. "But it's not your fault."

She had been shocked, angry, and distressed, to say the least, when her father had told her about marrying Naoki. She knew their fathers were close friends but she could hardly remember anything about him, only that he was considered extremely smart even at that age. She had wept and protested, arguing against having to marry, that it wasn't necessary, but seeing how worried he was about her future finally made her reconsider.

"I know you don't want this either. I mean, who would want to be married to someone they don't really know? It's not done nowadays." She shrugged her shoulders. "But we're here." She added unnecessarily.

"And we should make the best of it." Naoki offered.

For the first time that night, tentative smiles crossed their faces.

The next hour passed quickly as the two got better acquainted with each other. Kotoko learned that Naoki wasn't that cold or indifferent as he had first seemed. He did have the tendency to clam up and shut down but with the right questions, he wasn't that reluctant of a communicator. Naoki in turn was surprised with the realization that Kotoko's manner which he had first written off as being too expressive and over the top actually actually wasn't too bad. She _did_ tend to be loud when she was excited—which was most of the time—but all in all it was refreshing to be with someone who wasn't in awe of him.

It wasn't until Kotoko had yawned twice that Naoki suggested they go to bed. Kotoko paled and Naoki immediately reddened when he realized what he had just said.

"No, no! That's not what I meant. I mean, yes, to sleep, not uhmmm—" He groaned and covered his face with his hands, dropping his head back against the armchair in embarrassment.

After her initial alarm had passed, Kotoko found the humor in the situation and began giggling. Naoki dropped his hands from his face and stared at her before joining Kotoko in laughter.

"Well, goodnight." Kotoko finally said with a smile, her cheeks pink from laughter.

"Goodnight, Kotoko." Then Naoki stood, crossed to the bed and grabbed two pillows from one side.

"What are you doing?"

"You sleep on the bed, I'll take the couch." When it looked like she would protest, Naoki interrupted her. "It's fine, Kotoko." He gave her a reassuring smile. Kotoko dipped her head.

"Thank you."

She was asleep by the time Naoki came back to the room after his bath.

"Sweet dreams, Kotoko."

 **~o~o~o~**

Kotoko slept surprisingly well that first night. She slept long and deeply, not waking up until almost 9 o'clock. She gasped and leapt out of bed only to remember that school was not in session and the she was supposedly on her honeymoon.

A quick survey of the other room showed that Naoki was up as the sofa bed was empty. A fresh pot of tea was in the kitchenette and she found him on the balcony typing away on his laptop.

"Good morning." He greeted her when she stepped out to join him.

"Good morning."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, actually. How about you?"

"So did I."

"I'm sorry for getting up so late."

Naoki shook his head. "Don't be. I would have slept longer myself but I had some emails I needed to respond to."

"What time did you get up then?"

Naoki glanced at the time on the laptop. "Around 7:30. Would you like some breakfast?"

"Brunch you mean?" Kotoko said with a laugh. "Yes, please! You should know that I love food."

Naoki quickly learned that Kotoko wasn't kidding when she said she loved food. She worked her way quickly through the breakfast feast that room service sent up.

Naoki continued working after breakfast but Kotoko opted to explore the extensive resort gardens. Naoki joined her for lunch by the pool and they went on a tour the resort provided for the rest of the afternoon. They had one more night at the resort before they left for Tokyo the following morning.

 **~o~o~o~**

Naoki's mother had taken care of setting up the newlyweds' living quarters in the Irie family home, declaring that "her dear daughter was not to be stressed over anything." After almost being smothered in a big hug, Kotoko had loved the energetic older lady, happy she could call her mother.

Initially, Mr. Aihara had protested against the Iries' insistence that he move in as well but after Kotoko added her voice, he relented.

Naoki and Kotoko practically had the second floor of the mansion for themselves. They had a large bedroom with an en suite sitting room and bathroom. The only other rooms on the floor were a smaller spare bedroom and the study.

On their first night home, Okaasan went all out and served up a homemade feast for the couple and it was late before Naoki and Kotoko went up to their room.

 **~o~o~o~**

It was déjà vu. Here he was by the window and Kotoko by the door, as far as possible from the bed without actually stepping outside the room. He could have laughed if he didn't sense the tension radiating from her. It seemed as if the easy camaraderie that had developed between them had never been present.

Naoki turned and sat on the vanity stool.

"Have a seat, Kotoko." He waved his hand around the room, inviting her to sit. Kotoko nodded and sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, her hands tightly clasped in front of her, her eyes lowered to her toes. "What happened? Are you feeling unwell? You seemed fine during dinner…"

"I'm fine, really." But her expression and posture said otherwise. In the short time he'd been around her, Naoki knew she was far from fine.

"Kotoko," he pried gently. "Did something happen in the kitchen?"

After dinner, Kotoko had volunteered to help with the chores. His mother finally allowing it only after Kotoko declared that since this was her new home, she would only truly feel at home if she helped with daily household tasks. The women had been holed up in the kitchen for a long time as the rest of the family cleared and tidied the dining room before taking turns with the bathroom.

Naoki's hunch proved right when Kotoko slowly nodded. "She didn't mean anything by it, Okaasan just…" Naoki sighed. He knew his mother and he could guess at where this was going. "She asked if we had a good time then when I said we did, she got really excited and mentioned 'babies' and 'grandchildren.'" Tears quivered on her dark lashes.

Naoki was on his feet, across the floor, and on his knees in front of her before he could stop himself. He laid his hands over hers.

"No, don't cry." He said with a calm that he didn't feel. "I promise you, we won't, uhh, do any of that. We won't do anything that you're not comfortable with." He could see the effort she was making trying to hold back her tears but one made its way down her cheek.

She looked him straight in the eye before taking a tremulous breath and nodding slowly.

"Thank you, Irie-kun." She finally said and her lips lifted in a small smile.

Naoki stood and took a step back. He reached for a box of tissues on the dresser and handed it to her.

"And Kotoko, I think you should call me by my first name, don't you agree?"

"Hai… Naoki-kun."

* * *

A/N:

I've revamped the prologue and added a few more paragraphs, including one from Naoki's POV so you might want to reread it. =)

If you first read this story on She Said No, you'll notice that the versions are slightly different. This is the meatier version. Enjoy!

As always, thank you for the reviews and follows, dear readers!


	3. Chapter Two

A/N: Dedicating this chapter to Tatistus, just because. (",)

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Naoki suggested that since they were on the second floor and not likely to be checked-in on by their family, he would take the couch in the en suite sitting room and Kotoko could have the bed, not unlike their very practical arrangement on their honeymoon.

He could see that while she looked relieved at his proposed arrangement, Kotoko also felt bad for taking the bed. Naoki assured her that he was fine.

He misjudged his mother.

"Here, take the comforter. There's another one in the closet I can use." Kotoko had bundled it into his arms and grabbed two pillows for him when someone knocked on the door. Not waiting for an invitation, Okaasan came in bearing a tray.

"Ohohoho!" Mrs. Irie put a hand over her mouth with a pleased expression. "I see you're both getting ready for bed!" She pointed to Naoki. "Is it too hot for you? Ohohoho!"

Naoki quickly dropped the comforter as if burned.

"Well I won't be keeping you!" She laughed again. "Here are some snacks if you get hungry later, okay?" She placed the tray on the coffee table. "No need to leave your bedroom! Enjoy your night!" She was giggling as she backed out of the room.

Naoki groaned.

"Huh? 'Enjoy your night?' What a strange way to say 'goodnight!'" Kotoko said, her voice confused.

"That's mother for you," Naoki supplied, not elaborating on what his mother obviously meant.

But with the close call of being discovered and having no desire to explain their arrangement to anyone, they decided to just sleep in the bed. Together. But, as Kotoko helpfully pointed out, it was large enough that if she built a 'pillow fort' between them, it should be fine. Naoki shook his head amusedly at her description of their makeshift 38th Parallel.

"Uhhm, Naoki-kun?" The lights were off and they were lying side by side, a wall of pillows between them. She couldn't sleep either, apparently. Naoki responded to let her know he was awake. "Do you move around a lot when you're asleep?"

"Not much. Yuki does though. Why?"

"I'm not sure, but I think I do because when I wake up in the morning, my pillows are all over the place and the blankets are on the floor. I just thought I'd let you know. You can just push me back over to my side if that happens, okay?"

At some point in her speech she had propped her elbows over the divider and Naoki could see her eyes reflecting light coming in through the window. The image of shoving a sprawled and sleeping Kotoko back on her side of the bed was hilarious to Naoki but he simply nodded. Struck by a sudden unexpected feeling of _fondness?_ he tapped her nose with his finger.

"Hai, hai. Don't worry about it. I have a little brother who's kicked and punched me in his sleep before—I can handle a sleeping Kotoko."

Kotoko giggled and dropped back to her side. "Goodnight, Naoki-kun."

"'Night, Kotoko."

 **~o~o~o~**

The family hosted a party at the main Aihara restaurant a few days later to celebrate the couple's marriage. Aside from some family friends, Pandai and Aihara employees and executives were in attendance.

The party was underway and Naoki had just finished introducing Kotoko to one of Pandai's board members when a slight commotion by the kitchen entrance caught his attention.

"Will you excuse me?" Kotoko asked brightly before hurrying off toward the kitchen. Curious, Naoki excused himself a few minutes later and headed after her. He stopped when he saw Kotoko with a man about their age in the empty hallway.

"Don't be silly, Kin-chan! I'm perfectly fine."

"I don't believe it! I just go home to Osaka for two weeks and when I come back you're married!" The loudmouthed stranger grabbed Kotoko by the shoulders. Naoki stepped forward but his intervention was unnecessary—Kotoko brushed the other guy off. "Did he do something to you? I'll avenge you, Kotoko!"

"Don't be silly, Kin-chan! Like I said, I'm fine and Irie-kun is a good person—he didn't do anything wrong."

"I've been waiting for you for years!" He wailed. Naoki grimaced at the sound. "I've loved you forever, Kotoko!" Naoki narrowed his eyes. So that's what this was about. He stepped forward again but stopped when Kotoko spoke. Her voice was gentle.

"I'm married and I'd appreciate it if you can recognize that." She laid her hand on his arm. "I value your friendship, Kin-chan, and that's all there ever was between us. I hope we can stay as friends."

His shoulders drooped down and Naoki was amazed at how Kotoko effectively took the wind out of this Kin-chan's sails, figuratively speaking. He decided that announcing his presence might not be the best idea at the moment but he stayed close until Kotoko returned to the party.

 **~o~o~o~**

Days passed into weeks and the couple grew more comfortable with each other.

Naoki discovered that even more than Kotoko being spirited, she actually exuded an energy and vivacity that took him by surprise. She wasn't the flighty airhead he had first thought. She was just so _happy_. Nothing seemed to discourage her. Only her father's health brought a shadow on her sunny disposition but when his father-in-law's condition seemed to be improving, Kotoko was continually on Cloud 9. She had moments when things went over her head, but Naoki found it amusing. Sometimes it was even a relief when his mother's innuendos were lost on Kotoko.

After dreading this marriage ever since he knew it was inevitable, it was a relief to know that he might actually even like his new life.

With two genius sons who were such 'sticks in the mud' (Mrs. Irie's description), Kotoko's zest for trying her best at everything was a breath of fresh air for the Irie household.

However, despite her best effort, there were some things Kotoko could not seem to grasp which was a shame since her own father was famous for it.

She was terrible cook.

Even Yuki, who loved to eat, could barely manage to choke down Kotoko's charred or over-boiled offerings. The younger boy, who had initially labeled Kotoko a 'baka' had been won over by Kotoko's friendliness. But even he couldn't survive being her cooking guinea pig for long.

Mrs. Irie decided that making a decent cook out of her new daughter would be her project, even if it was the last thing she did. So far, the project had only had decent returns. Kotoko had successfully boiled and scrambled eggs. Still, progress.

Kotoko's coffee, however, was a different story. Naoki had learned that two weeks after their wedding.

After a long night reviewing and editing a new contract between Pandai and a local factory that would be producing figurines for one of their game lines, he had been bleary-eyed when he woke the following morning. Peeking into the bedroom and seeing that he was awake, Kotoko came in with a steaming cup of coffee on a tray. Remembering the last time she had tried anything in the kitchen, he tried to get out of having to drink the coffee. But she was too quick and pressed the warm cup into his hands with a cheery, "I hope you like it!"

He more than liked it. Her coffee was divine and he told her so. Her cheeks colored from the compliment and she wished him a good day before leaving to get ready for school. It took him a while before he could rouse himself from the cozy haze that had come over him to get ready to go to school as well.

Kotoko was a second year nursing student and she was incredibly passionate about her chosen career.

Naoki learned from his father-in-law that initially her college advisor and even her high school classmates were dubious about Kotoko going into the profession due to her almost legendary clumsiness and boisterousness nature. But she had proven them all wrong by graduating in the top 50 of her high school class and passing the nursing entrance exams with flying colors.

Naoki was impressed by this information and seeing how hard Kotoko studied when she got home from school and how earnest she was with everything she did, he could see that when she was determined, she had the incredible power of making things happen.

And somehow, observing her was strangely _exhilarating_.

* * *

A/N: Guest reviewers, I couldn't respond to you privately but thank you, thank you! Reviews make my day!

Hugs!


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter 3**

"Naoki-kun?" It was after dinner and the three students in the family were working on their respective homework in the second floor study.

"Hmm?"

"My department is having a semester-end party and the nursing students wanted to make sure you'd attend. Will you come?"

"Are you inviting me?"

"Only if you want to go. You're a big deal on campus, after all."

"What do mean?" Yuki wanted to know.

"Well, Yuki-kun, your brother is the University _Ikemen_. In fact, I was in so much hot water when my class found out he was married to me!"

Naoki remembered that time. Kotoko had come home agitated and ran straight for him as soon as she saw him.

 _"I can't believe it!" She had stomped up to him._

 _"Huh?"_

 _"I come to class and everyone is excited because this 'new transfer from America had come to Tonan! He has an IQ of 200 but even more important, he's incredibly handsome!'"_

 _Naoki smirked at the description—something he'd heard all his life. He also couldn't help but find her agitation funny._

 _"When I heard your name I was about to tell them our connection since it was bound to come out anyway and I didn't want my classmates thinking I was holding such information from them, but then they went on and on about how they would love to meet you and attempt to get your attention."_

 _"You were jealous?" He interjected._

 _"Of course not! When I tried to tell them again, they said how they would make sure that no one else would be competition and they were serious! I changed my mind about telling them, of course."_

 _"Why would you do that?"_

 _"They'd eat me alive! They'd never believe you're married to someone like me after all." She giggled. "Now you need to make sure they don't find out the truth, okay?" She finished, catching her breath._

Despite his view of the silliness of the situation, Kotoko wheedled him into promising to keep their connection a secret.

The secret had been safe until a few weeks later when Kotoko had forgotten her bento at home and Okaasan had to ask Naoki to take it to her. Kotoko cooked up an elaborate way to hand off the lunch but it had backfired. Her nursing class and soon, the entire campus knew they were married. Her classmates had been quick to bank on the connection and quickly changed tactics to use Kotoko to throw them in the path of other eligible men. Naoki was in the business college after all and there were bound to be intelligent and handsome single men there as well.

Yuki laughed uproariously at the story. "That's hilarious, Neechan! Oniisan has always been popular in school but he turned everyone down."

"I don't see what's so funny." Naoki said grumpily.

"It's funny because now that you're married, you're forced into 'meet-ups'!"

Life with Kotoko was certainly never dull.

 **~o~o~o~**

Naoki woke up to the sound of something crashing. He bolted up in bed to see Kotoko hopping around their bedroom with her purse in one hand and a look of pain on her face.

"Kotoko?"

"Oops! I'm sorry I woke you!" She said in a loud whisper.

"What happened?"

"I kicked the side table." Naoki could see the tears in her eyes.

A quick glance at the clock told him what he needed to know—she was running late. "Here," he grabbed her purse. "Put some ice on that and take your time. I'll just get dressed then I'll drive you to class."

Her face brightened then immediately shuttered. "But you're busy."

"It's alright. I'll stay in the library to wait for my class."

She rushed around despite his warning not to. As they drove to campus, she talked nonstop about a case study they were doing. Kotoko was struggling with creating the tables for the data and Naoki could see that she was stressed out.

"I'll help you."

"Huh?"

"The tables. I'll help you put them together tonight."

"But—"

"It sounds like an interesting case." He offered by way of explanation.

"If it's really okay…" He nodded. "Thank you!" She practically bounced on the seat as she beamed a smile at him.

 **~o~o~o~**

One afternoon, Naoki came home before Kotoko. Brushing past her desk, he accidentally sent a stack of her papers flying to the floor. Hurriedly picking them up, he stopped when he saw pages and pages of intricately detailed pencil sketches of organ systems. Naoki flipped through the illustrations, his eyes widening in surprise when he realized that they were Kotoko's work. Almost without thought, he sat down and read one of her reports. He wasn't familiar with hemorrhagic stroke, but he was fascinated by how she wrote about the condition. He could almost hear her voice presenting it to him and he was enraptured by the energy and evident research that went into its writing.

He sat in the empty living room a long time after he had returned the papers on her desk. He thought how happy Kotoko was with her studies and chosen career. He realized he didn't have any of that drive or desire for anything. He was a genius with an IQ of 200 and there was nothing he had ever had to work as hard as she did to achieve. He never forgot anything he heard or read and that particular skill made it easy for him to be good at basically everything. He had good command of his body and reflexes which made him an excellent athlete in his chosen sport.

He simply never had to work hard for anything.

For the first time in his twenty years, Irie Naoki wondered what it was like to pursue something passionately.

 **~o~o~o~**

"Why did you choose nursing?" They were getting ready for bed and Kotoko was brushing out her hair at the vanity. She lowered the brush and began braiding her tresses into a lose plait before she responded. Naoki watched her through the mirror as her expression turned thoughtful.

"I was sickly as a child. I was probably in the hospital at least once a month, sometimes even more. For my first few years they didn't know if I would make it past my next birthday." She stood up and sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed facing him. "The nurses who took care of me were so kind and wonderful. They became like my aunts, taking such good care of me that I never became afraid of being in the hospital like most children do when they see white coats or the like." She waved her hand in the air. "It wasn't hard for me to decide what I wanted to do when I grew up. I wanted to be just like them." She shrugged her shoulders as if to say _"that's it."_

Naoki leaned back against the headboard and considered this. He was… _envious_ with how sure she was of her choice.

"How about you, Naoki-kun? Why did you choose business?"

"It was the most logical thing to do. I would run Pandai one day so it seemed the way to go."

"I see. That makes sense." Kotoko said brightly. And Naoki could see that she _did_ see. There was no judgment in her eyes that he chose such an easy path. "I'm curious why you chose Tonan to transfer your school credits from America. With your IQ, you could go anywhere. Why Tonan?" Realizing that her statement sounded disloyal to her own school, she hastened to add: "Not that Tonan isn't a great school, I—It's just—"

Naoki chuckled. "I know what you mean, Kotoko," he assured her. "Father wanted me to go to University of Tokyo, his alma mater, but I told them that I wasn't going to college." Kotoko's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "I wasn't pursuing a college degree in the US," he explained. "I was just taking various business classes at a University but not interested in working toward a degree."

The confusion cleared momentarily from Kotoko's expression. "Why—"

"As I said, I'm going to inherit Pandai and that's going to be my career. Why would I need to go to college for that? Of course they weren't happy with my decision and I'll be the first to admit I wasn't exactly the easiest person to deal with at that time and I fought with them a lot over it." He shook his head at the memory.

"I see…" Kotoko said but this time Naoki could see that no, she didn't really _see_.

"I can tell you want to say something." Naoki said, reading her correctly.

Kotoko fidgeted and shifted her weight. "I'm surprised you didn't want to pursue a degree though." She turned to him, "I understand why you think you don't need it _but_ you're a genius!"

Naoki waited for her to continue after her outburst.

"You could do anything, be anything! You could choose to be an astronaut and I have no doubt you could be one." She waved her hand—Naoki had noticed that her voice got louder and her motions got bigger when she was getting warmed up to something. Then her voice turned softer. "I bet you would make a great surgeon." She said thoughtfully.

Naoki was not expecting that. "A surgeon?"

Kotoko nodded, her eyes brightening up. "You're very calm and—" She blushed, looking down. "You have nice hands." Naoki was floored. She took note of his _hands_? That gave him a funny warm feeling.

"A surgeon, huh?"

She nodded emphatically then got off the bed only to walk around to her side and climb back up. She leaned on the headboard but didn't face him. Naoki studied her profile. Her expression turned thoughtful again and her voice was gentle.

"You're amazing. You can do anything and everything. I wish—I wish you could do something that you _really want to do_."

Then she faced him and her face was sunny again. "Goodnight, Naoki-kun."

He was awake a long time time after Kotoko's breathing had evened out into the peaceful rhythm of deep sleep.

* * *

A/N:

Aloha, everyone! Thank you for all the love!

There were reviews about how Kotoko is more capable in this story and how she was able to get to where she is without help or tutoring from Naoki. All true! And because she's more capable and less "in-love" with Naoki, I've decided to also balance it out by making Naoki less cold and aloof and overall less of a douchebag... Hehe

Enjoy!


	5. Chapter 3 - extra

With a shout out to lady di who wanted to know how their marriage was revealed at Tonan!

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - extra**

The nursing class was abuzz with something that even the rather dense Kotoko sensed it.

"What's everyone whispering about, Motoki?" She asked her bijin classmate.

"Kotoko, really? Sometimes I think you live under a rock." Teased their classmate Marina.

"Mouu!" Kotoko pouted.

"Ma, ma," Motoki waved a slender hand between the two. "It's this news that a very handsome, genius, heir of a corporation is joining the business major at Tonan!"

"Coming? I think he's already here." Interjected Tomoko.

"Whatever," Keita said in bored tones, unwilling to let the others see that his interest was piqued at the very least.

"So?" Kotoko still wasn't sure what all the excitement was about.

"'So?' So? A love interest of course!" Everyone chorused.

Thankfully the professor came in at that moment, saving Kotoko from more harassment from the class for her disinterest in the business major genius. Besides, she already lived with one at home, it was nothing new to her.

She was busy arranging her pens a few minutes later when she froze. "His name's Irie Naoki." A classmate whispered to her seatmate.

 _Uh oh._

That night Kotoko told Naoki that by no means was he to reveal who his wife was. Upon his query why, she explained that it would be such a distraction to her studying when her classmates want to get information about him through her. Naoki was unconvinced but Kotoko pled and wheedled him until he agreed to keep their connection a secret.

 **~o~o~o~**

Two weeks later, Kotoko thought that maybe enough time had passed and it was now safe to reveal her connection to Naoki. Fielding questions from her classmates about her husband was getting to be more and more difficult for her. After class, Kotoko cleared her throat and attempted to join Marina and Tomoko's conversation. "Uhmm, about Irie Naoki…"

"Yes! He's so dreamy! I saw him as he passed our building last week!"

"I haven't heard of him having a girlfriend, have you?"

"She must be so smart and beautiful to have him for a boyfriend!"

"I don't care! I'm going after him and no one can stand in my way!"

The snippets of conversation had Kotoko worrying on her lip. _Apparently two weeks wasn't enough time..._ Her phone buzzed with a new text message. It was from Okaasan.

 _Kotoko-chan, you left your bento! I had Oniichan take it with him to school to give to you. Enjoy! ~Mama_

Kotoko shot up from her seat. "Everything alright, Kotoko?" Keita asked.

"Uh huh, I'm just going to get something from the vending machine!" She said brightly. The others exchanged looks.

 **~o~o~o~**

"Moshi moshi," Kotoko spoke into her phone.

"Where are you? And _why_ are you whispering?" Naoki asked from the other end of the line. "I have your lunch."

"Oh that's great! I could just go over to your building right now! I'm on break!"

"I'm already walking toward your building, just meet me at the entrance."

"No!" She practically yelled. "I mean, that won't be necessary. Let's meet halfway!" She provided him with directions to the bike shed about midway between their buildings. She got there before Naoki and hid behind the shed.

"Pssst!" Kotoko gesticulated wildly to catch Naoki's attention. He rolled his eyes. He couldn't _not_ see her even if he tried.

"Wave any bigger and your arm's going to fall off," he warned.

"Thank you, thank you!" Kotoko danced around him, the newly acquired bento box in her hands. She dropped exaggerated kisses all over it.

"You'd think you didn't just have a heavy breakfast this morning."

"Food is food and Okaachan's is one of the best!" Kotoko declared.

"Well I'm sure she's happy that you enjoy it so much." Naoki conceded. "Hey!" Kotoko had grabbed his arm and pulled him behind the bushes next to the shed.

"Shhh!"

"Wha—" She placed her hand over his mouth and muffled his exclamation.

Four students in nursing whites approached, talking amongst themselves.

"I wonder where she went? She practically ran out of the classroom."

"She said she was going to the vending machine."

"Right. She ran the opposite way."

"That's unusual."

"I hope she's not in trouble."

"We might as well go back to class, there's no sign of her. She might be back there for all we know."

"Let me call her."

Kotoko, who had been peering through the leaves to watch her classmates, suddenly drew back and scrambled for her phone. She pulled it out of her pocket so fast that it flew out of her hand. With a stifled shriek, she dove for it but tripped on a root and fell right into Naoki. Fortunately for her, he reacted quickly and closed his arms around her before she could hit the ground. Unfortunately for him, her momentum was too much for his position against the bushes and they both crashed through.

Kotoko blinked up at the faces around her. She seemed to be on solid but warm ground who was groaning in pain?

"Gomen!" She scrambled back and brushed off Naoki's back as he sat up.

"Are you aright?" Naoki asked her. Kotoko nodded yes as they both stood.

"Ehhh?"

"What were you doing with him in the bushes, Kotoko!"

"Aren't you Irie Naoki?"

The barrage of questions flew around them. Naoki cleared his throat. "She tripped." He pointed to Kotoko's shoe which had flown off her foot when she hit the root.

"Kotoko! You're so lucky!" Marina shrieked. "Too bad you're already married, huh?" Turning to Naoki she bowed. "I'm Marina! Pleased to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you. I'm married too." Naoki said flatly.

"Ehhh?"

Naoki walked away from them and picked up Kotoko's shoe. Walking back, he squatted next to her and held the shoe next to her foot. Blushing hotly in embarrassment, Kotoko placed a hand on his shoulder to steady herself before slipping her stockinged foot into her shoe.

"Oh. My. Goodness." This was from Motoki. He pointed a finger first at Kotoko then at Naoki then back at Kotoko. "No. Way."

"Huh?" Kotoko was confused. Motoki stared at Naoki.

"She's your wife?!"

* * *

A/N: Not a "real" chapter today, friends! I haven't gotten very far with the next chapter and it didn't go in the direction I wanted. Here's a little gag update of sorts about how Tonan discovered Kotoko and Naoki's connection.

Belated Happy Nurses' Week! and Belated Happy Mother's Day!


	6. Chapter Four

**Chapter 4**

The following day had Naoki in the medical section of the University library. He checked out two small volumes and was already deep in one through the train ride home. He was done with both by the third day and checking out another set by the fourth. For the first time, Naoki wanted to pursue something other than what had been his preordained path. He wanted to be a doctor.

 **~o~o~o~**

A week to the day after their bedtime conversation, Naoki invited Kotoko to take a walk with him after dinner. Kotoko looked surprised but simply grabbed her jacket and followed him outside. They wandered around for a bit before Naoki directed them toward a park bench. Kotoko had been quiet the entire time, apparently content to let Naoki speak when he was ready. Naoki sat for a moment, not quite sure how he would start, inexplicably nervous over what he was about to say but he knew he wanted her to be the first to know.

"I want to study medicine." His voice was steady but his emotions were not, a feeling still new to him but one that he had been having more often ever since Kotoko entered his life. Naoki got even more nervous when Kotoko stilled, eyes wide.

Then she threw her arms around him in a bear hug and he could breathe again. "Naoki-kun, that's wonderful!" Naoki grinned against her hair and his heart began beating once more. He hugged her back.

For his plan to work, Naoki knew he had to present it to his parents in away that wouldn't be rejected outright. He was supposed to be studying to manage Pandai, after all. Kotoko agreed that keeping the decision between them for the time being was for the best.

Later that night, Kotoko was all but bouncing on the bed in excitement. "Naoki-kun, this means we'll be in the same building!" Her smile was infectious and Naoki couldn't help but grin back at her enthusiasm.

Naoki decided to wait to change his major until the end of the term. In the meantime, he read plenty of medical books and journals so he could transition easily when the time came to take classes in his new chosen career.

A couple of nights later, the couple sat in companionable silence. Naoki flipped a page on his medical text as he and Kotoko read leisurely in the study. She was on her stomach on the couch, her feet kicked up in the air.

In a rare moment of wandering concentration, Naoki idly kept his hand on the page as he studied her face. Kotoko's eyebrows would draw together and her lips silently form a word every now and then. Naoki assumed she was sounding out the words in her head. After a minute Kotoko flipped over to her side, her head pillowed on her arm, her left leg dangling off the couch. She was never still. It was as if she found it impossible to be quiet, even in motion.

Naoki smiled and returned to his reading.

 **~o~o~o~**

"Ne, Naoki-kun..."

"Hmmm?"

"That lady we met…" He didn't answer immediately, finishing the paragraph he was reading first.

He looked up. "Matsumoto?"

" _Ee_ , Matsumoto-san. You know her well?"

"I've known her for a long time, yes."

"I see."

"We were in a few tournaments together when I was in the U.S."

"She must be really good then if she was in the same tournaments as Naoki-kun," she said with a smile, confident in his abilities.

"She is. I never played with her though, we both just played singles. Although I hear she plays doubles with Sudou now."

"Is that— I mean—"

"Huh?"

"You're okay with that?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh, I don't know. I mean— I thought— Well, she seemed to be very close to you and she looked like she was very surprised to find out you'd married, and well—" She stuttered to a stop.

Naoki frowned as he processed her statement. "You think she and I were together?"

"I—" Her expression told him all he needed to know.

"We were never more than acquaintances."

"Oh. I see." Kotoko felt foolish to have even asked but really, the way the other woman clung to Naoki's arm and talked to him as if Kotoko wasn't even present couldn't help but raise some questions in her head.

"There's nothing for you to be jealous about." Naoki said with a chuckle, ruffling her hair as he passed.

"Hey! _I wasn't!_ "

 **~o~o~o~**

"You're still wanting to ask something, aren't you?" They were now in the backyard, seated on the gently swaying porch swing. It was already the time they usually went to bed but the night was a fine one and Kotoko wanted to sit under the stars. Naoki had followed her shortly, curious in spite of himself, to see what she was so excited about.

"Ehh?" Kotoko's hand stopped mid-twist as she idly braided her hair.

"You have that distracted look when you're thinking about something and it usually has something to do with an earlier event during the day. So, what is it?"

"N-nothing," she stammered.

"Obviously it's something. Come on, just tell me. If you don't then I'll be wondering what it is then I won't be able to fall asleep right away and it'll be your fault if I can't concentrate in class tomorrow."

"That's not fair!" Kotoko protested but Naoki wouldn't back down.

"Fine, but you have to promise not to laugh."

"Maybe."

"Mou." Kotoko pouted.

"Hai, hai." Naoki finally promised. He was getting curious what she was so worked up about. Kotoko breathed out and seemed to be steeling herself for whatever she was about to say. Naoki had gotten used to her internal "pep talks" and waited patiently for her to spit out whatever was bothering her.

"Well the omiai is obviously not something we chose for ourselves and you're a genius and you're handsome, rich, and from a good family." She sighed and turned toward him. "I'm wondering if, maybe… was there someone that you had to say goodbye to because of me?" She had kept her eyes on her hands clasped on her lap the whole time but now she raised her gaze.

Naoki could clearly see that she was troubled and the honesty of her question took him aback. She was concerned that their marriage had caused trouble for another. Then it made him wonder if _she_ had someone she had to leave for _him_. The thought bothered him.

"There wasn't anyone."

"Really? But—"

"Remember how I knew about the arrangement?" He waited until she nodded. "Well that's one reason. But mainly because I haven't met anyone that piqued my interest enough for a second date."

"Ohh…" What might have been relief crossed her face.

"And how about you, Kotoko? Have you had to change your plans because of this?"

Her face turned an adorable shade of red. " _Iie!_ " She shook her head vigorously. "I've never even been on a date." She loudly giggled self-consciously.

"You've never been on a date?" Naoki asked, surprised. Sure, Kotoko wasn't the type to go out with guys, but she was pretty and had her own brand of charm. He found it hard to believe she hadn't even been on a date. She shook her head. "Well I can't allow that." He said firmly, making up his mind.

"Ehh?"

 **~o~o~o~**

Shigeo returned his son-in-law's greeting as he passed Naoki entering the house from the backyard where he found his daughter sitting on the porch swing. Kotoko smiled at him in welcome as he joined her on the seat. They both gazed quietly at the stars, a calm settling over them.

Shigeo looked at Kotoko, his eyes uncharacteristically moist. A small smile was on her lips as she stared wide-eyed at the constellations—some that he had taught her to recognize from years past. She was the brightest star in his life and had brought so much happiness to his life.

"Kotoko, are you happy?" He had observed how well she got along with her new family but he wanted to be sure. He had practically strong armed her into marriage but he couldn't bring himself to regret wanting to give her security in any way he could. _But_ if she was unhappy, he would move heaven and earth to correct what he had done.

Kotoko's answering smile warmed his heart. " _Hai_ , Otousan, I am. Our new family is lovely. I—I'm—Thank you, Otousan."

"And how are things with Naoki-kun?"

Kotoko's pink cheeks told him all he needed to know. He nodded, reassured that his beloved child was indeed happy. Kotoko giggled and slid her arms around his waist, hugging him affectionately. Shigeo laughed and hugged her back.

That night Aihara Shigeo died peacefully in his sleep.

* * *

 _ **End of Part 1**_

* * *

A/N: Uploading a little early this week because I was already finished with the chapter and I'll be busy the rest of the week.

I cried a little over this chapter, you guys... Anyone else?

As always, thank you for the support in the form of reviews, favorites, and follows!


	7. Mourning

_"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal." ~Richard Puz_

 **Omiai Kekkon**

 **Part 2**

 **~o~o~o~**

 **Mourning**

It rained that day which was unusual that time of year. Dressed in black, Kotoko's porcelain skin looked even paler in contrast. Noriko held her hand throughout the ceremony as the men of the family flanked them.

After, Naoki stood beside her as Kotoko stoically received the condolences of the gathered guests.

When he was only seven, his mother had taken him to see a play. It was some college production a cousin was in—one he couldn't even remember what the plot was about, but one scene stayed with him. It was the moment the Greek hero's wife was brought news of his death. The actress playing the wife had stifled a gasp with her hand and that was the extent of her response. Then she squared her shoulders and ordered her companions out of the room.

It wasn't until the doors had closed behind them that she had collapsed into heart-rending sobs.

Looking at Kotoko now, that scene came to mind. Her face was a tightly controlled mask which she put on for the world, but inside, her heart must be breaking. In response, his heart _ached_ for her and her pain. He had already long recognized that Kotoko's small frame held a gigantic spirit, but since her father died, the blazing star that was her light had shrunk down to a flickering candle.

Naoki wanted to be strong for her. He wanted her to lean on him and let him support her, but for the first time, he felt at a loss at the thought that nothing he could say or do would reach past her shroud of sorrow.

 **~o~o~o~**

Naoki opened his eyes to the darkness of their bedroom. It took him a moment to identifying what he was hearing, but when he did, his stomach sank to his feet.

Kotoko was crying.

He had only seen her cry once, when she kissed her father's cheek goodbye the day he died. Even then, she had made no sound, only silent tears making silver tracks down her cheeks.

Her muffled sobs were muted by what must be her face pressed into the pillow, but nothing could completely mute the agony of her cries.

With determined steps, Naoki walked around to Kotoko's side of the bed and lay on top of the blankets next to her. She stilled. "Come here," he said softly.

Whether it was because of her overpowering sorrow or the darkness simply afforded her some freedom, Kotoko turned into his arms and wept.


	8. Chapter Five

**Chapter 5**

Naoki was glad that even for a short time, he had gotten to know Shigeo. He could see why his own father respected the other man so much.

Before his death, Naoki had joined him and Kotoko to visit Kotoko's mother's grave. They had stayed at the local inn where a few villagers had joined the men for a late night of drinking. Kotoko had only been five years old when their family had moved to Tokyo but the villagers had long memories and regaled Naoki with stories of the spirited little girl. After the other men had dropped off snoring, Naoki and his father-in-law sat together in companionable silence, Kotoko having long gone off to bed.

"Thank you, Naoki-kun." Naoki looked up in surprise. He hadn't done anything. "You make my Kotoko happy." Shigeo looked down into his sake cup. "I know she worries about me even though she tries to hide it because she knows I don't want her to. But when you're around, she forgets to be sad about me. You're good for her and that makes this old man really happy." Shigeo had patted his knee and called it a night but Naoki sat with his thoughts a long time after he had gone.

 **~o~o~o~**

Thirsty, Naoki was debating whether it was worth it to run downstairs for a glass of water or just wait it out until morning, when a glance beside him showed that he was alone in bed. He crept down the stairs to see if maybe Kotoko had gone to the kitchen herself. He found her sitting at the end of the dining table, a cup of tea in front of her. She had not turned on any of the lights, but the curtains were drawn and the full moon bathed her in its mellow light.

"Naoki-kun," she greeted when she saw him.

"Couldn't sleep?" He said settling across from her.

"Just thinking." He waited for her to continue. "Would you like some? I boiled enough water for another cup." Without waiting for an answer, she disappeared into the kitchen, reappearing a few minutes later with his tea.

"Thank you."

They sipped in silence for a few minutes before Kotoko broke into Naoki's reverie. "I was angry at first when 'Tousan told me about getting married."

She had never talked to him about the extent of her feelings toward their marriage before and Naoki suddenly felt unsettled for reasons he couldn't name. "I refused and fought him about it. I didn't agree that it was for the best. It had been just the two for us for the longest time and I didn't see why that had to change."

She stopped, frowning into her drink. The air felt stifling. "I finally agreed just to appease him."

She looked up at Naoki, her face sad. "You could say I did it just to shut him up." Her voice was no louder than a whisper. She looked down again and Naoki could see her blinking rapidly, trying to hold her tears at bay.

Unsure, but sensing that he wouldn't be pushed away for it, Naoki reached across the table and placed a hand over Kotoko's.

"Let me tell you something, Kotoko." She stared at their joined hands but she didn't move away. "I know for a fact that 'Tousan was glad that you agreed. I think—no, I _know_ that it allowed him to go peacefully."

She looked at him slowly, as if registering his presence for the first time, her eyes shining with tears. "You gave him that, Kotoko." A tear escaped and ran down her cheek but her smile was genuine.

"Thank you, Naoki-kun."

 **~o~o~o~**

A season had come and gone since his father-in-law had passed away, the summer greens giving way to autumn's red and orange. Naoki was relieved to see that Kotoko was recovering—if that was even the proper word to use after the death of a parent. Talking about her father no longer brought tears to her eyes each time. More often, only fondness from happy memories.

Naoki had changed his major to medicine which he had no regrets doing. His parents had not put up a fight, instead, they were fully supportive, a fact that surprised Naoki. Apparently they understood him better than he sometimes understood himself. The health and medical field was eye-opening for him and incredibly fascinating.

He spent his first two semesters taking extra classes which enabled him to advance further on his second year in the program. However, he was still a semester behind Kotoko who was now a junior. Because of this, despite the couple being the same age, Kotoko's classmates teased that she was married to a younger guy—good natured ribbing which made Kotoko laugh.

 **~o~o~o~**

"Naoki-kun! Funatsu-san!" Kotoko greeted from the second floor when she spotted Naoki and his classmate on the first floor at school one afternoon. They were heading to class and Naoki raised a hand in greeting.

Arriving at the top of the staircase, Kotoko skipped down the steps to the first floor where Naoki and Funatsu were walking. Her classmates trailed along behind her at a more regulated pace. Seeing her approach, Naoki lengthened his stride and reached the bottom step just as Kotoko stumbled. She was only saved by Naoki's grip on her arm.

"You really need to stop doing that, Kotoko," he chided. But he knew it wouldn't make a difference. She would just keep running up and down stairs whenever she was excited about something and he had already resigned himself to being present as much as possible to prevent her from breaking her neck.

He waved goodbye as he and Funatsu continued on their way.

 **~o~o~o~**

Arriving home from school one afternoon, Naoki found the house quiet and almost empty. "Where's everyone?"

"Kotoko and Yuki took Chibi to the park."

"The park?"

Naoki was understandably surprised since Yuki didn't like going to places like parks. He preferred to stay at home reading or playing the occasional video game which made Naoki wonder what made his brother decide to go out.

He heard them before he saw them, the sounds of laughter and yells punctuated by loud barks greeting his ears. If his face was more expressive, a look of surprise would have shown. As it was, he only stared.

Kotoko, Yuki, and Chibi were running around in an apparent game of tag. It wasn't like regular tag though because whenever someone got touched, the "It," simply turned and chased the other down, basically just passing the game back and forth in a continual cycle. Chibi was just enjoying the excitement and ran with whomever was in the lead. Naoki couldn't help laughing when Yuki had to jump over the large dog to avoid tripping over him or when Kotoko hurriedly gathered her long tresses into her fist to avoid Yuki's outstretched fingers.

He was watching for a couple of minutes before they spotted him. The moment she recognized him, Kotoko's face broke out into an even bigger smile—which was incredible considering she was already smiling and laughing before.

"Naoki-kun!" she called to him with a wave of her arm. "Come join us!" " _Pass_ " was on the tip of his tongue when he saw his younger brother's face. It was hopeful but carefully schooled to remain neutral.

Two things struck Naoki in that moment. One, that he didn't spend nearly enough time with Yuki, and two, Kotoko was _amazing_. He sauntered over to the trio and patted the panting Chibi. Then without warning, he tapped Yuki and swiftly grabbed Kotoko's hand, sprinting away with her as the fourteen year-old froze in surprise.

Yuki grinned and ran after them with a shout, commencing a new round of tag.

It was over an hour later when the sweaty and sore trio collapsed shoulder to shoulder onto the grass, laughter still not totally under control. Naoki glanced sideways at Kotoko, matching the smile on her face. Unintentionally, Kotoko's fingers grazed his as she reached for Chibi and Naoki had no desire to move his hand away. He gazed at Kotoko's flushed cheeks, her eyes closed, her breath still fast and he thought how adorable she looked.

After catching their breath, they trouped back home where Okaasan was waiting for them with freshly squeezed orange juice.

"I've never seen Yuki enjoy himself so much before," Naoki remarked as they helped prepare for dinner. "I'm impressed you got him out to play."

"It wasn't too hard," Kotoko giggled. "I just dared him that I could run longer than him."

 **~o~o~o~**

"What's wrong, Papa?" Okaasan asked during the meal.

"Ahh, I just have this crick in my neck from holding the phone against my shoulder earlier today." Shigeki shrugged his shoulders and turned his head left and right to try and relieve muscle.

"I usually massage 'Tousan's shoulders when he gets a stiff neck. Would you like me to try, Papa?" Kotoko offered.

"It's alright, Kotoko-chan, you go ahead enjoy your dinner—" but Kotoko had hopped off her seat and was behind him in the next moment.

"It'll help, I promise!" she said brightly, shaking out her hands and hyperextending her fingers back to warm them up.

"Okay," Shigeki said, intrigued. "I put myself in your hands." The family observed Kotoko kneed at the muscles around Papa's neck with various placements of her fingers, palms, fists, and even elbows.

"Tada!" Kotoko declared about five minutes later. "How does it feel?" Shigeki tested out the area.

"Why, your hands work wonders, Kotoko-chan! It feels even better than before!" He patted her cheek affectionately. "I feel wonderful." Kotoko basked in his praise and traipsed back to her seat to finish her dinner.

"Me too, Neechan." Yuki begged after the meal. "I'm sore from running."

Kotoko stood with a hand under her chin, thoughtfully regarding the younger boy. "Hmmm, three of us ran, not to mention Chibi… Aha!" She snapped her fingers. "Let's do a massage train!" The two looked over at Naoki who was reading a book.

He shook his head with a small smile, content to relax through reading. "Pass."

"Your loss." Yuki declared and plopped himself on the floor in front of Kotoko.

"Mou!" Kotoko complained. "Why do you get to go first?" Nevertheless she already had her hands on his shoulders.

Naoki shook his head at their antics but stopped abruptly as he realized: _she is precious to me._

 **~o~o~o~**

Naoki all but ran into the bedroom and closed the door quickly behind him. He finger-combed his hands through his hair as he paced at the foot of the bed.

What exactly did that mean, that she was _precious to him_? Yes, he had gone on three dates when he was back in the United States, but that was back in high school and his rebellious college days. None have ever gotten to the point where he felt that any of the girls were important to him. If anything, it was simply an ego boost to have the prettiest and richest girls of the school vying for his attention.

He wracked his brains, trying to think what this realization meant for him. Sure, Kotoko was a great addition to the family and everyone got along really well with her. That's what his mind was telling him, right? His subconscious simply meant that Kotoko was an integral thread in the fabric of the Irie family.

He exhaled, perfectly content with this explanation.

Irie Naoki, for all his IQ of 200, was still quite naïve about certain things. And his perfectly _reasonable_ explanation lasted him all of two weeks.

* * *

A/N: The longest chapter to date to make up for the brevity of last week's installment. Have a wonderful week, everyone!


	9. Chapter Six

A/N: Please note, if you read the previous chapter a few days ago, I've since added an extra paragraph at the end. Please go back and read it first! No new changes to the rest of the chapter, just the ending.

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

Naoki's phone rang as he stepped out of his last class of the day. "Oniichan, could you go to Kotoko-chan's teachers and ask for her assignments?"

"Where's Kotoko?" He hadn't seen her all day. He left home before she did on Tuesdays then today, he had to meet with his advisor over lunch period.

"She's sick and didn't make it to class today."

"Is she okay?" He asked in concern. She did seem a little under the weather the previous day.

Noriko made a tsking sound of disapproval. "She's caught some bug but she _claims_ she's feeling better and is insisting on going to the University to get her assignments. You'll do it, right?"

"Of course. I'll be home within the hour."

Naoki pocketed his phone and headed back into the medical building to search out Kotoko's professors.

 **~o~o~o~**

When Naoki arrived home, his mother was in the kitchen. He placed a large paper bag on the kitchen counter.

"What's this, Oniichan?"

"Some hot soup for Kotoko. I remember she really liked this when we ordered from Yoshino's one time."

Noriko beamed at her son. "How thoughtful of you, Naoki! You'll be such a wonderful father!" His mother turned around to grab a pot and just missed seeing the shock on Naoki's face, his mouth opening and closing on air.

"Uhhh, I'm sure that's not the case." He said, his voice steady despite the pounding in his head.

"Tsk," his mother shook her head. "You're a student of medicine, Naoki, not a doctor _yet_." She waved her hand dismissively.

Naoki could feel the blood rising to his ears. He squirmed but he needed to correct his mother's assumption. Hopefully she hadn't mentioned anything to Kotoko yet or the poor girl might get freaked out.

Their friendship/relationship was going great. She was comfortable with him. He recalled a few times when he had woken up during the night to find that they had migrated closer to each other on their large bed. The strange thing was it felt completely _natural_ and even _nice_.

Over time, Kotoko's pillow fort had been reduced to a single one. But since the night when he had held her as she cried, even that last remaining pillow was gone. Neither of them spoke about it.

On some nights, as she slept, Kotoko wound end up snuggled against his side, her arm thrown across his chest. Whenever that happened, he found it next to impossible to fall back asleep and they were always back to their respective sides of the bed come morning.

He frowned. Short of telling his mother _why_ it would be impossible for Kotoko to be pregnant, Naoki emphasized that she _most likely_ was _not_ expecting and to not mention anything to Kotoko. He may have strongly hinted that Kotoko did not want the family to be disappointed if there was nothing new to report. His mother finally promised to keep mum if she could be the first of the family to know.

Naoki escaped with the soup as fast as his legs could carry him.

 **~o~o~o~**

"Okaeri, Naoki-kun!" Kotoko greeted from the bed. Naoki was glad the afternoon sun had softened the light in the room or he was sure Kotoko would notice how red his face must be from the ordeal with his mother.

"Tadaima." Naoki placed the bowl on the nightstand then sat on the edge of the bed and felt her forehead. It was warm and dry but not burning. _Good._ He studied her. Her cheeks were a little pinker than usual and her eyes were over bright. Kotoko squirmed under his scrutiny and sank lower against the pillows. "How do you feel?"

Kotoko sighed. "Better than this morning."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She shrugged and turned to her side. "It's probably just the flu." Her eyes widened then she suddenly sat up while simultaneously giving Naoki a mighty shove that sent him stumbling from the bed. He barely caught himself from plowing into the wall. "Get out!"

"What the—?!" Had she gone mad?

"Get out, Naoki-kun," Kotoko yelled. "I might get you sick!"

Naoki stared at her in stunned silence until her words registered. Then he shook his head and laughed— hard. "You scared me for a second there, Kotoko." He chuckled.

"I'm serious—I don't want you to get sick."

He crossed his arms across his chest. "I don't get sick." Kotoko raised an eyebrow at his arrogant claim. Naoki raised his hands, palms up. "What? I really don't." Kotoko just shook her head. "In any case, we sleep in the same bed and have similar environments so I most likely already have whatever bug you've got. Staying away isn't going to change anything." He returned to his spot next to her.

"Fine, I won't argue with you." She turned toward the soup forgotten on the nightstand. "What's this?"

"Chicken soup from Yoshino's. You like it, right?"

"I do!" She said enthusiastically. "Thank you, Naoki-kun!" Then as if she felt that she was being disloyal for liking Yoshino's so much, she added, "I do love Okaasan's chicken soup but I also like the brown rice Yoshino-san adds to his recipe."

Naoki patted her leg. "I'm sure Okaasan knows you like her cooking."

Two servings of the hot soup later, Kotoko sighed dramatically and stretched her arms over her head. "That was so good, Naoki-kun!" Naoki nodded in agreement. He had joined Kotoko for dinner in their room.

"I have your homework."

"Oh, thank you. I told Okaasan that I was feeling well enough to go to school to get them myself—"

"Don't be ridiculous. You're sick and I could do it."

"I hope it wasn't too inconvenient for you."

"Kotoko, even if it _was_ , which it definitely wasn't, I'd still be happy to do it for you." Naoki said in all seriousness. A smile broke out on Kotoko's face at this statement and it struck Naoki how her smile would have been more than enough compensation even if he had to collect her homework for the rest of the term. He cleared his throat self-consciously at the uncharacteristic sentiment.

He pulled out a few sheets of paper from his bag. "Here, there's not that many and most of it is just reading."

They got ready for bed then Naoki brought over Kotoko's books and notebooks. Most of the assignments, however, were as he said, just reading. Naoki helped Kotoko with her worksheets then picked up his own reading when she only had that left. They had migrated to the couch in the sitting area adjacent to their bedroom—Kotoko partially reclined on pillows next to Naoki who was sitting up straight on his side of the sofa.

After a quarter of an hour—"Here." Naoki held out his open hand toward her.

"Huh?" Kotoko's puzzled gaze shifted from his hand to his face.

"You're too restless. Give me your textbook and I'll read to you."

Kotoko perked up momentarily before deflating. She shook her head. "No, it's okay— you have your own reading to do."

"I'm done and besides, I read faster than you." Without waiting for a response, he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him, eliciting a squeak of surprise.

"Naoki-kun…"

"I'll read but try not to fall asleep." He warned. Kotoko nodded, her eyes huge in her face but even so she almost imperceptibly leaned in closer to him. Naoki grinned above her head and pulled the blanket higher around her then began to read out loud. He wasn't even three pages in before Kotoko was out. He silently finished the rest of the chapter for himself before picking up his wife and tucking her into bed. She didn't even stir.

After bringing their dishes downstairs, he went to bed.

 **~o~o~o~**

Naoki had been feeling a certain restlessness, an _unease_ for some time now which had more or less settled in his gut. Taking advantage of his current insomnia, he proceeded to examine his present state of affairs.

Life was good and he wasn't too blind or too proud to admit that it was largely due to Kotoko. However, despite his overall feeling of contentment, he felt that something was missing and he couldn't place a finger on what _it_ was.

In the soft light filtering in through the curtains, he turned on his side to gaze at his sleeping companion. She had a hand tucked under her cheek, her lashes dark crescents against her pale skin.

An indecipherable murmur came from her lips, and Kotoko's sleepy words had his heart jolting in response. A gentle smile lifted a corner of her mouth. He wondered what her dream was about. Could she possibly be dreaming about _him_? It looked like a happy dream at least.

While he had never been an unhappy person, being around Kotoko made him realize that now, he _was_ happy. Granted, he was still averse to a lot of social contact or situations, but he smiled more readily when he was around family and friends. He looked forward to what the day would bring, instead of just running through his mental checklist of duties for the day. He was eager for his studies and was really, truly interested instead of just flipping through the text to memorize facts and figures.

He was happy. _She_ made him happy. She had brought such life not only to him but to his entire family. Fond affection for the slip of a girl who was his wife bloomed in his chest.

Naoki lay on his back and stared at the shadowed ceiling. Aside from the happiness and contentment, he had also recognized that he was more _aware_ of her, and had been for some time, actually. He instinctively _knew_ when she entered the room and when she left, feeling her presence even before she announced herself. He _felt_ her joy and elation beyond the impersonal black and white words when she texted him. He _recognized_ when she was tired but was just putting on a tough front. He had told no one of this, Kotoko least of all. He felt that letting her know about this heightened awareness would only bring awkwardness between them. Especially since he didn't know how she felt about him. About their marriage, yes. He knew she had agreed to it for her father's sake and she seemed happy to be with them. She didn't dislike him, true, but she treated him the same as she always had.

Ever since his realization that Kotoko was important to him two weeks ago, that feeling gnawing in his gut had been growing bigger, more insistent. Now, as Naoki took his foreign emotions and feelings apart for further scrutiny, reviewing the past months, trying to place where all this truly began, he was hit hard with an eye-opening, life-changing realization.

That he was, quite simply, in love with his wife.


	10. Chapter Seven

**Chapter 7**

Kotoko woke up feeling much better than she had the previous day. She stretched her arms above her head and wiggled her toes, feeling the delicious pull of muscle through her body. Now even more relaxed, she turned to her side to see if Naoki was up. She yelped with a jolt of surprise when she found him not only conscious but wide awake and staring at her.

Naoki suddenly laughed as her expression warred between irritated and amused.

"Mou," she finally said with a pout and slapped him on the arm. "Don't scare me like that!"

Naoki rubbed his arm where she had hit him. "I'm sorry but I couldn't resist!" But he did not look repentant at all. Naoki inched toward her and tapped her playfully on the nose. "You are too adorable." His statement elicited a bloom of color on Kotoko's cheeks but her forehead crinkled in confusion.

"What's so funny?" She asked, now mildly irritated that he seemed to be extremely amused over some private joke.

"Nothing." He hedged. Then he stretched, mirroring her earlier action and tucking his arms behind his head. "It's a lovely morning, don't you think?"

Kotoko wondered at his uncharacteristic cheerfulness and got up to get ready for the day. Naoki smiled at her retreating back. He had a slight headache from lack of sleep but overall he felt great—elated, happy, _giddy_ even.

He was in love with his wife.

He wanted to tell her, to explore how this could change the dynamic of their relationship for the better. But he needed to know if she felt the same. He was sure she _liked_ him at least. But did she _love_ him? His heart sank a little. What if she didn't? He gave himself a mental shake and got out of bed with purpose. His campaign for Kotoko's love begins today.

The gnawing unease he had been feeling didn't disappear because it now had a name and it was better described as _butterflies_.

 **~o~o~o~**

Kotoko had been sneaking sideway glances at him since they left home that morning and throughout the commute to the University. He had ignored her curious eyes, basking in the overwhelming emotions that immersed him in their heart-warming embrace. Then she had stared wide-eyed at him when he tucked her in against his side on the crowded train, shielding her from the crush of students and salarymen. Not that he hadn't given her similar protection on the train before, but this was the first time he had kept his arm around her even after the crowds had thinned. He reveled in the sensation of her slight form against his throughout the ride.

He had reluctantly parted with her at her classroom, feeling her gaze on his back as he walked to his own class.

 **~o~o~o~**

Upon entering the cafeteria after his class, Naoki easily found Kotoko. He had already discovered that the fastest way to find her was to look for the liveliest spot in the room and there she would be.

A small smile touched the corner of his mouth as he watched her for a minute from across the room as she sat with her friends. From that distance he couldn't hear what they were talking about, but Kotoko was in her element, her face bright and her motions expressive. Marina, Tomoko, Motoki, and Keita seemed to be finding her story hilarious because they were laughing. Then Naoki noticed something which had him narrowing his eyes.

Kamogari Keita sat two seats away from Kotoko and was taking surreptitious glances at her which unsurprisingly, Kotoko didn't even seem to notice. So Keita had a thing for Kotoko. If he had given himself another minute to mull over this discovery, Naoki may have forgiven the other man this grave error in judgment considering this was Kotoko and she was near damn perfect.

But, she was also his.

Naoki strode forward, his hand clenching into a fist. Despite his and Kotoko's unconventional marriage arrangement, Kotoko _was_ married and Kamogari better watch himself.

 **~o~o~o~**

"Naoki-kun!" Kotoko smiled as Naoki placed a chair next to hers. She turned to the side and reached into her lunch bag. "I have your lunch."

She fished it out and gave him the bento. "Thank you" he said simply.

Then Naoki did something he had never done before.

He kissed her cheek.

The table fell silent as the nursing students gawked at him.

"Itadakimasu." he said as if nothing had happened.

He glanced at Keita but the other man had his eyes glued to the table.

 _Good._ Naoki felt rather smug.

 **~o~o~o~**

"Naoki-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you…?"

"Do what?"

"Earlier, in the cafeteria…"

"Oh that?" He turned the page on his textbook and shrugged. "That was to thank you for bringing my lunch."

"But you've never—"

He stood and squeezed her shoulder. "I was really, _really_ hungry."

 **~o~o~o~**

Her clumsiness became an opportunity to hold her. Her attempts in the kitchen a chance to compliment her at the smallest improvements. Her intense bouts of studying an excuse to stare at her unhindered—her concentration so evident on her face.

At some prior point, he had already recognized that he was attracted to her. But now with the realization of the truth of the matter brought _difficult_ consequences. Once he had allowed the truth of his feelings for her settle in, acceptance had followed and frankly, he had no inclination to fight it.

Once that was established, the emotion rose in him in steady degrees.

He wanted her.

She slept next to him each night, sometimes unconsciously ending up in his arms but those innocent touches were no longer enough.

He wanted her in every sense of the word. She was already his wife. They were friends. They were partners. He wanted to be her lover.

He needed to step up his campaign.

 **~o~o~o~**

"Please, Yoshida-san, this is good for you!" Kotoko shifted from foot to foot, trying to get he crotchety old lady to drink the bitter syrup that was her medicine.

" _Iie_! Mix it in something sweet to mask the terrible taste!"

Some time later, Kotoko left the old lady's room, her shoulders drooping with defeat as soon as the door closed behind her. But true to form, not a moment later she threw a fist in the air accompanied by a silent cheer to herself. _Yosh!_ _I can do this!_

She had been assigned to the elderly Yoshida, the grandma known to give nurses a tough time by being obstinate in her own plan of care. She would eventually concede but not until after digging her heels in and giving push back.

"Naoki-kun!" Kotoko said in surprise when she saw him leaning against the wall in the hallway. He wasn't scheduled to be at the hospital today. He held a bottle of iced tea out to her and fell into step beside her as Kotoko continued down the hall.

"I'm here to accompany Papa for his medical check up." He explained. "The grandma giving you a hard time?" He asked, sipping from his own bottle.

Kotoko shook her head no. "You heard that, huh? That's Grandma Yoshida. She always does that—but I'm getting used to it."

"You handled it really well." Surprised, Kotoko stumbled mid-stride and Naoki steadied her with a hand on her arm. "Careful." Kotoko only stared at him. He waved a hand and went down the hall in the opposite direction.

Half an hour later, Kotoko walked back toward Yoshida-san's room to re-assess her pain. Her forehead wrinkled in confusion at the voices coming from within the room. Aside from Yoshida-san's voice, the other one was very familiar. She drew open the door and gaped.

"Naoki-kun?"

"Hi, Kotoko. Obaasan here is glad to learn that you're my wife. She's excited to happily spend more time with you." Naoki smiled and stood. He patted the elderly woman's hand. "Take good care of Kotoko, Obaasan! I'm counting on you!" Then he squeezed Kotoko's shoulder on his way out. Kotoko stared at his back, dumbfounded.

"Kotoko-chan!" Yoshida-san gestured to Kotoko to come closer, a kindly smile on her face. "Quick, let me have my medication so you can tell me about that handsome Naoki-kun!"

Kotoko spent the rest of the day free from any more trouble coming from Yoshida-san.

 **~o~o~o~**

Kotoko wondered what was going on with Naoki. He was acting so differently since he recovered from the bug they had both caught a week ago (despite his boast that he did not get sick).

He had always been kind to and considerate of her but now he was more _something_. She couldn't quite place it.

Maybe there was an added _cheerfulness_ to his manner? She frowned. 'Cheerful' didn't seem to be an appropriate term for Naoki but if his ready smile and that constant gleam in his eye wasn't 'cheerful', she didn't know what was. He was more deliberate too. There was a certain earnestness to him that hadn't been evident before.

After a few more days of this, she couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Naoki-kun?"

"Hmmm?"

"Has something happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's just... What's going on with you?"

"What do you mean?" He repeated

"Are you still sick?" She felt his forehead but he wasn't overly warm.

He grasped her wrist and laced his fingers with hers. Her face suddenly felt hot.

"Iie, I'm not sick."

 _Not in that sense anyway._

"Then what's all this!" She waved her hand at the picnic spread before them. He had told her that morning to keep lunch period open for him. When she went on break from her clinical shift at Tonan Hospital, she had been greeted by a grinning Naoki with a picnic basket slung on his arm.

She didn't miss the fact that the women in the vicinity had blushed and tittered as they walked by. "What's the occasion?"

Naoki shrugged. "Nothing. The weather was nice this morning so I thought it would be perfect for a picnic." Kotoko frowned, unsure of the veracity of his statement.

"I brought some of your favorites," Naoki pointed out, changing Kotoko's train of thought, at least for the moment.

Aside from his cheerfulness and unexpected surprises, there was also more _touching_. Kotoko warmed at the memory of the last instance. She had been soaping dishes the other night when Naoki joined her at the sink and proceeded to rinse the dishes she had completed.

"Naoki-kun?"

"You said you had a lot of homework. It's faster this way." He bumped her arm with his and shot her a smile that made her knees feel weak. She nodded in thanks and handed him the next dish. Without removing his gaze from her face, he grasped the dish, his hand unnecessarily closing over hers and kept it there for a few beats before pulling the dish from her suddenly slack fingers, proceeding with his task as if nothing extraordinary had happened.

 **~o~o~o~**

If she wasn't already in love with him, she was positive she would be by now. She wondered if it was possible for Naoki to be in love with her. She shook her head. Theirs was a business agreement that had bloomed into friendship, nothing more.

She had read the marriage contract. Essentially Aihara Corp. had transferred the bulk of its monies to Pandai, Inc. as her dowry of sorts and in trust for any future children. There were some sections on Kotoko's "happiness and wellbeing," and so on.

It was a lot of legalese but even she could understand that as long as she was happy with the Iries, the Aihara fortune was theirs.

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A/N: Oh my goodness! LOVED the reviews I got for the last chapter! Had a tough shift at the hospital yesterday but a quick reread of your lovely words of praise and encouragement was a surefire pick me up. Thank you!


	11. Chapter Eight

**Chapter 8**

Naoki wanted to give Kotoko a present. Her birthday wasn't until September but he didn't want to wait that long. As he considered what gift she'd like best, he recalled a time when they had only been married a few weeks and the entire family went to Hakone during a long weekend.

 _"It's so beautiful, Okaasan!" Kotoko gasped, hands clasped together, as she looked at the majestic view of Mount Fuji across the lake from their ryokan._

 _"I will never get tired of it." Noriko agreed._

 _"I've only been to Hakone once when I was little. I'm so glad you made this trip happen, Okaasan."_

 _"Well a family should take holidays every now and then after all!" Noriko declared with a stink eye at the men of the family. "They're such bores. When I wanted to come here when we got back from the States last year, they only wanted to stay in the city!" She placed a hand dramatically on her forehead. "I'm so glad I have a daughter who can appreciate trips with me!" She grabbed Kotoko into a hug which the younger woman happily returned._

 _The women explored their lodging house and Noriko assigned rooms. The men placed the luggage in the respective rooms and everyone changed into yukatas as is the tradition at ryokans. The afternoon was spent in the games room playing table tennis (Naoki and Yuki), napping (Shigeo and Shigeki), and getting spa treatments (Noriko and Kotoko). After a scrumptious dinner, the men and women went to their separate ways to relax in their separate baths._

 _Naoki hung the towel on the rod when he finished drying off his hair, feeling nice and relaxed after the bath. He stepped into the room he shared with Kotoko. Their two futon lay side by side in the middle of the room but she was nowhere to be seen. On a hunch, he opened the sliding doors that let out to the back of the ryokan._

 _Kotoko smiled up at Naoki when he joined her on the engawa. He sank down on the wooden floor next to her. She had her cheek against the pillar, enjoying the cool stillness of the evening. The stars were bright—much brighter than when she watched them in Tokyo._

 _"You love gazing at stars, don't you, Kotoko?" Naoki asked. He had seen her on several occasions sitting on the porch swing back at home in Tokyo, her eyes straining toward the heavens._

 _She nodded. "When I was little and 'tousan only had the main Aihara, he had time to read to me and tuck me into bed. On dark nights much like this, he would show me the stars. He told me stories about men and women who became immortalized in the heavens."_

 _"Tell me one."_

 _"But they were fascinating when I was a child, I don't know if—"_

 _"Legends are timeless."_

 _She regarded him for a moment before smiling. "Okay."_

 _"Then I'll make myself comfortable." Naoki shifted to lay on his side and plopped his head on her lap. Kotoko gasped but Naoki didn't move away. To his surprise, she gingerly placed her hand against his hair in a soothing motion._

 _Naoki closed his eyes and listened to her soft voice wash over him…_

 **~o~**

 _Once upon a time, there was a beautiful celestial maiden called Orihime. Her father was a god and Orihime wove beautiful cloth for the gods._

 _She worked very hard but after years of this, she despaired of ever finding love. She became sad but because her father loved her very much, he allowed her to meet a young man from across the river._

 _His name was Hikoboshi and he loved the celestial maiden as soon as he met her. However, because he was only a cow herder, he did not have the courage to ask her to marry him. Orihime also loved him and she became even more despondent since now that she had found someone she loved, she couldn't be with him._

 _Her father intervened and he multiplied Hikoboshi's flocks so that he became very rich. Now, Hikoboshi felt free to declare his love for Orihime and marry her. They were very happy and Orihime eventually stopped weaving her beautiful cloth for the gods._

 _The gods started complaining and her father declared that the lovers were to be separated. Orihime pled with her father and promised to keep making cloth._

 _One year later, when she had her first child, she once again stopped making the cloth and the gods became angry, separating Orihime and Hikoboshi with an impassable river between them. Orihime once again pled with her father and he finally allowed them to be reunited when Orihime agreed to weave cloth for the gods but only for the first half of every year._

 _And so Orihime and Hikoboshi lived happily, having many children. When the time came for them to die, because they were mortal, the gods made them into the stars Vega and Altair to honor them for their service._

 **~o~**

 _"That sounds like a corrupted version of the Legend of Tanabata," Naoki had commented, opening an eye to look up at Kotoko. She giggled and nodded._

 _"Yes. I didn't like the original story so I badgered 'tousan until he made this version."_

 _Naoki crossed his arms over his chest and nodded once. "I like it."_

 _"I'm glad." Kotoko smiled down at him and continued combing her fingers through his hair._

 **~o~o~o~**

"Tadaima."

"Okaeri, Naoki-kun!"

Naoki followed the scents into the kitchen where he found Kotoko putting together a tray of pastry and rice snacks.

"Okasaan and I are going out back, would you like to join us?"

"I'll just change." Naoki replied. "Oh, Kotoko."

"Hai?"

"Can I see your hand?"

"Huh?"

He took her hand and in one smooth motion slipped a slender ring onto her right ring finger.

"Naoki-kun?"

"Look." He held up her hand and the twin diamonds in the gold setting winked cheerily in the light. "It's a belated birthday gift."

"It's beautiful." Her smile was shy and radiant at the same time.

Naoki pointed to the design. "This way like in your story, Orihime and Hikoboshi will always be together."

 **~o~o~o~**

The voice drifted from the slightly open door as Kotoko climbed the stairs to the second floor. She recognized her father-in-law's voice. He was probably on some business phone call in the study.

 _"What?"_

She stopped when she heard Naoki's voice replying to whatever Papa had said.

 _"It's true. But fortunately—"_

The rest of the sentence faded away. Something seemed to have happened. Kotoko went on into the bedroom, worried about the urgent tone in Papa's voice and the bits of conversation she had overheard.

When Naoki came in, he told her about the situation. And while it was bad, it wasn't unsalvageable. Apparently Pandai had invested some stocks in a venture that had turned out to be a scam. The company had ended up losing a bit of money but thankfully a large part of it would be covered by insurance.

"I'm glad it's not all lost," Kotoko said. "I heard your voice when I was coming up the stairs and whatever it was didn't sound good."

"It'll be fine." Naoki reassured her.

 **~o~o~o~**

Despite the setback of Pandai's investment loss, Naoki thought that the rest of the week went great. He felt that he was making great headway in his campaign for Kotoko's affection. She blushed and stuttered whenever he came close, something that she had never done before. Granted, he was pushing the line and was constantly finding opportunities to crowd into her space, but still, she didn't use to turn red when he was in the vicinity.

He felt good. He was making progress. She loved his present.

Soon, he would ask her if she loved him.

Soon, he would tell her he loved her.

 **~o~o~o~**

"Ah, I see. That would be nice, won't it? But we already have that prior engagement with Sasaki-san."

"You're right. Well it can't be helped." Papa said.

"I know! Oniichan and Kotoko-chan can go in our stead!"

"Go to what, Okaasan?"

"Papa and I have been invited to Aomori-san's son's first birthday party but we already have another party on that day." Aomori-san was a junior manager at Pandai. "If you and Oniichan are available, you can go as our representatives."

"If Naoki-kun is free, I would like to go."

"Perfect!" Noriko clapped her hands together.

A week later, Kotoko watched as the birthday boy was handed to Naoki. Naoki had a look of surprise on his face but he quickly masked it. He gingerly bounced the boy up and down a few times until the child laughed. Kotoko laughed happily with him then Naoki tugged her close. They smiled at the camera as their picture was taken.

The thought struck her.

Was this why Naoki-kun had been acting differently? Did he want to have a child? It was only natural, she supposed. He had promised that they wouldn't do anything she was not comfortable with. Was he perhaps trying change her mind?

She blushed hotly. Having a child with Naoki-kun, well, while it didn't sound like a bad prospect at all, but... She can't help wishing that there was more...

 **~o~o~o~**

A light autumn shower had washed through Tokyo that morning, leaving the air clean and fresh, invigorating the two as they walked to the station. Kotoko suddenly stopped and crouched on the sidewalk.

"What are you doing?" Naoki asked.

He watched as she plucked a fallen leaf from the grass then use it to gingerly scoop up a writhing earthworm stranded on the sidewalk. Once the creature was securely on the leaf, Kotoko transferred it onto the grass and turned it over, letting the worm fall into the still-wet grass. The creature smoothly slid away from view.

"There." Kotoko dusted off her hands and stood, shooting Naoki a satisfied smile. "It would have died when the sun got hot," she said by way of explanation.

Naoki stared after her, feeling all sorts of amazed and impressed, as she continued walking. He had to suppress the urge to kiss her. He jogged after her instead and grabbed her hand.

"Kotoko?"

She looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Would you like to go to Tropical Land this weekend?"

"Yes! The last time I went was when I was junior in high school!" She looked back at him. "Who else is going?"

"I was thinking… just… the both of us."

"Oh."

"Is that—I mean—Would you rather that we invited others?" Naoki felt incredibly disappointed that she didn't want to be alone with him.

"Not at all!" Kotoko said brightly. "I just thought that maybe you wanted a family outing or something like that."

He only felt marginally better that she seemed to group him as an entire entity with the rest of the family.

He'll help her change her mind soon enough.

* * *

A/N:

Naoki is correct, this is a totally different retelling of the Tanabata story. My version ends more happily in that the lovers get to stay together vs only meeting once a year.

This story is winding down, dear readers... But because I am reluctant for the inevitable, I cast around for something to add an extra chapter. Thus, the bit about the birthday party, the Hakone trip, and Kotoko's version of the legend of Tanabata are all new content. I hope it doesn't sound too choppy to the flow of the story.

To my readers who wanted to know if this was going to change to M-rating goodness (LOL), I'm sorry to disappoint you, but no it won't. This will stay a T. However, if an M-installment-worthy-scene comes along, it will be uploaded separately. *grins*


	12. Chapter Nine

**Chapter 9**

Kotoko murmured incoherently and turned on her side, sleep still infusing her body with delicious restfulness. She brushed at her cheek, swatting at some stray irritant but it returned after a few seconds. She groaned and reluctantly opened her eyes.

Naoki watched Kotoko come to wakefulness after her efforts to swat away the corner of the blanket he had been brushing lightly over her cheek proved too much to ignore. He was slightly bent over her, his weight resting on his forearms. He quickly backed away when she yelped and just missed head-butting him.

"Really, Kotoko," he teased. "Is the sight of your husband first thing in the morning that bad?" He laughed and rolled onto his back. Kotoko turned over onto her belly, mirroring his earlier pose and poked him in the side.

"Iie, but you surprised me!" She looked at the clock on the nightstand. "Why are you up? It's still early for a Saturday," she said with a yawn. She hugged her pillow and snuggled into it, closing her eyes. They usually slept in until around 9:00 on the weekends. Then her eyes popped open and she grinned widely. "Tropical Land!" She rolled to the other side of the bed and slipped out from under the blankets. "Let's go!

 **~o~o~o~**

Naoki purchased their tickets and the couple entered the park. They had arrived just a few minutes after opening and the park wasn't overrun by families with young children or even couples on dates just yet. Naoki consulted the map and mentally planned out their itinerary for the day. He had already asked Kotoko which rides and attractions she wanted to see most and planned accordingly. Having a photographic memory was handy for non-academic pursuits as well.

Kotoko grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the aquarium. "This way, Naoki-kun!"

"Hai, hai," he replied indulgently. Kotoko was almost two months older than Naoki but there were moments when it was hard to distinguish who was older between her and Yuki.

They spent the rest of the morning viewing the various tanks and pools at the aquarium, watching two street performances, and riding the merry-go-round.

For lunch, they went to the park café. When Naoki returned to their table from fetching their drinks, he couldn't see Kotoko because a broad-shouldered man stood in front of her, blocking his view of his wife.

"You look like you could use some company." The stranger said suggestively. "Would you like to join me and my party?" He pointed to another table across the room where another couple was sitting. They waved.

"Thanks, but no." Kotoko said, shutting him down right away.

"It'll be fun." The man slid into the seat, leaning forward.

"Uh, thank you but no, I'm here with—"

"With her husband." Naoki stepped in and placed the tray with a little more force than needed on the table between Kotoko and the obnoxious interloper. The other man intelligently recognized that he wasn't welcome.

"Oh, I see. Sorry, my mistake." He turned back to Kotoko. "I just saw you on your own and thought—"

"Thank you for keeping my wife company, but your presence is no longer needed." Naoki said coldly.

"Right, right. Sorry again!" he backed away hurriedly.

Kotoko giggled. "You scared him, Naoki-kun."

"Serves him right." Naoki said.

After lunch, they headed back for more rides. Naoki enjoyed the experience not so much from the thrill of the opposing forces as they swung back and forth or as they plummeted down in a free fall, but he loved the ready laughter and sunny smiles on Kotoko's face the entire time. Her shrieks of abandon on the roller-coaster heightened the thrill of the ride and her frequent glances to see if he was enjoying himself warmed him immensely.

"We're riding the ferris wheel last." Naoki informed Kotoko. She nodded in agreement.

"That's perfect. It's best to ride it at night so we can see the fireworks!" She grabbed his hand (the third time that day—not that he was counting) and headed into the crowd.

"Did you ride it the last time you were here?"

Kotoko nodded. "Yes, but it was in the afternoon. We didn't stay until late because most of us had to be home before 10:00." She suddenly giggled. "Another student from school, Jiro-kun wanted to ride in the same car as me but at the last minute, Kin-chan stopped him and in the scuffle, I ended up riding with Satomi instead." She frowned and shrugged. "I still don't understand what the big deal was if Jiro-kun rode with me, but as you already know, Kin-chan over acts sometimes."

After the wedding celebration the family had thrown at Aihara, Kotoko had told Naoki of Kinnosuke's infatuation with her. She confessed feeling a little sad for Kin-chan's plight, but Kotoko knew it would never have worked out between them—not that she had ever entertained his attention to see where it would go, she was quick to clarify.

From the few times Naoki was in the same room with Ikezawa, Naoki already knew that Kotoko wouldn't have been happy with him. For one thing, he didn't listen to her, constantly speaking over her about his love for her and how he was working so hard to make a future for them. Naoki doubted that the loud man was even truly aware of something as vital to Kotoko as her passion for her nursing studies and future career. For another, well, Kotoko was just too good for Kinnosuke.

It came as a relief to Naoki then when Chris, an English girl, fell in love with Ikezawa on sight and persisted until she eventually convinced Kinnosuke to become her boyfriend—anything to help the brash man get over his infatuation with Kotoko.

At that moment however, despite his aversion toward the other man, Naoki couldn't help but send Ikezawa a mental thank you for his interfering ways. If Naoki was a betting man, he would bet that this Jiro-kun had wanted to put the moves on Kotoko. She probably would have had none of it but it was still comforting to know it did not get anywhere close to that.

"I should thank Ikezawa then."

"Huh? What for?"

"Oh, nothing." Naoki waved the comment away. Kotoko tilted her head and looked like she would press him further. "Look, the line's moving," Naoki pointed out.

 **~o~o~o~**

"Kazuhiko!" A sudden shout had them both turning toward the commotion. A man was holding a small boy who looked to be about three years old. He was lying limp in his fathers arms while a woman was frantically rubbing the boy's back and calling his name. Naoki and Kotoko sped to their side just as the boy began seizing.

"You need to lay him on his side." Naoki directed as Kotoko reached for the boy. She guided the father to lay him on the grass then she turned him to his side.

"Help me loosen his clothing," she said calmly to the frantic parents. The episode lasted for no more than a minute but it was terrifying while it was happening.

"Has Kazuhiko-chan had a seizure before?" Naoki asked.

"No, this is the first time." His mother said tearfully.

"He will need some tests done, but many children have what's called febrile seizures." Naoki explained.

"If this is what Kazuhiko-chan had," Kotoko added, "most children outgrow them. I had a few episodes of them myself when I was a child." She assured the parents.

"Kazuhiko-chan may have gotten too warm and it induced the seizure. You should take him to his pediatrician just to make sure." Naoki continued.

"If this happens again, you need to place him on a safe surface to prevent him falling or hitting himself. Also, loosen his clothing so his breathing doesn't get restricted." Kotoko instructed.

"And lay him on his side so he doesn't choke on anything." Naoki finished.

"Thank you so much!" The father said.

"We didn't know what was happening but you saved him!" The mother said gratefully.

"My husband is studying to become a doctor," Kotoko proudly explained with a smile. Naoki basked in the feeling of Kotoko referring to him as "her husband." He liked it.

"And my wife is studying to become a nurse," Naoki said, no less proud himself.

"Is that so?" The parents showered them with praise and thank you's for their quick thinking.

After seeing the family off in an ambulance, Naoki and Kotoko headed back to the ferris wheel but the line was already closed for the day.

"Oh, well, it's a small price to pay for helping Kazuhiko-chan." Kotoko said with a smile. Naoki's heart did that strange pitter-patter again.

"Kotoko."

"You think so too, right?" She said.

"Definitely."

"Excuse me." An elderly man in overalls approached them.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to take a complimentary ride in a rowboat on the pond across from the park? I come here sometimes to watch the fireworks when I saw what you did to help that boy. I would like to give you that ride in appreciation for the fine thing you both did."

"Thank you, Sir, but that's not really necessary." Naoki began.

"Please, I insist. My boat ride experience is a great hit with couples. You won't regret it!"

Naoki turned to Kotoko. "Would you like a boat ride, Kotoko?" Her expression was all the answer he needed.

"Thank you, Sir. We'd like to take you up on your offer."

The rowboat was a two-person affair and Naoki had been happy enough to do the rowing so he and Kotoko could be alone.

"Did you have fun today?"

Her eyes were shining, her cheeks pink. "Oh yes! I did. Thank you, Naoki-kun." Her smile was happy, content. He had helped put that smile on her face. He was beyond pleased.

Naoki leaned forward. "Kotoko, I—"

The fireworks started just as they reached the middle of the pond, interrupting Naoki. Kotoko gasped as the brilliant colors that lit the sky were reflected on the dark waters beneath them.

"So beautiful," she whispered.

"Yes," Naoki breathed but his eyes were not on the fireworks.

 **~o~o~o~**

"You know, Naoki-kun, you were really cool back there." They were walking home from the station. Kotoko smiled at him. "You were like a real doctor. You'll be the best doctor one day." She declared emphatically.

" _You_ were great." Naoki replied. " _I_ was nervous." He confessed.

Kotoko's eyes widened. "Really?"

He nodded. "But you were there and _you_ were brave and handled it so calmly. I didn't have the chance to hesitate or be afraid."

Kotoko blushed and shook her head. "It was really nice working with you like that. I felt like we were a team."

This time it was Naoki who took her hand in his as they walked. "We do make a great team."

* * *

A/N: Fireworks and the 4th of July! hurrah! Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans! Thank you to our men and women in the military. We are the Land of the Free BECAUSE of the Brave.

Tropical Land is a Detective Conan reference. ;) Good looking out to those who caught it!

This chapter is dedicated to gealoves9 because she was OK's 100th reviewer! Thank you, thank you to every reader and reviewer! Writing this for you and hearing your thoughts on it is such a highlight to my week. The "territorial" Naoki is special thanks to gealoves9 because she wanted a "jealous and slightly territorial Naoki." The cafe scene is rather mild, but I hope you still enjoyed it, gea!

The first aid Naoki and Kotoko provided for the seizing Kazuhiko-chan are the recommended interventions during a seizure episode. There is some debate regarding placing something in the patient's mouth to prevent them from biting their tongue, but there is danger in it due to getting your own fingers caught in their teeth or the patient choking on the item. Simply positioning them on their side in a safe area clear of furniture and other objects is often enough.


	13. Chapter Ten

**Chapter 10**

Naoki was beginning to feel the strain of the past week. After the Tropical Land weekend, work had increased at Pandai, partly from the scam that it had weathered, and he had not been able to spend as much time with Kotoko. He left home before her to stop by the office and he went straight back to work after school, often arriving home after she had already gone to bed. After a week of this, he already missed her terribly. He missed talking to her about school, telling her about Funatsu's latest attempts to one-up him, hearing about her day, or simply watching her as she interacted with others. The old Naoki would have been horrified at his dependence on another person for his contentment and well-being—but frankly, the new Naoki didn't care so much for his old self. He pulled himself back from his wandering thoughts and tried to concentrate on the words in front of him.

"Naoki-san, Mrs. Irie is here to see you." Naoki lifted his head from where he was buried neck deep in documents and nodded to the secretary to send his mother in, wondering why she was visiting. To his surprise, it was _his_ Mrs. Irie who sailed through the door.

"Kotoko."

"Hello, Naoki-kun!" Her smile already made him feel less stressed. "I brought you lunch."

He stood and met her across the office. "You didn't have to come all this way." She had come from the University and the office wasn't just one short rail line away.

Kotoko shook her head. "If you're not too busy, I'd like to spend my lunch break with you." She waved her hand toward his desk. "I know you're doing a lot of things, but you shouldn't neglect your health after all—and…" she trailed off, seemingly debating whether to continue. "I miss eating with you." She finally finished. Then she giggled and backtracked, hands raised. "I know—it's so silly! But I guess I've gotten used to it—eating with you, I mean." Her expression turned contrite and her shoulders drooped. "I'm sorry—of course you're busy. Just this one time. I won't come agai—"

Because he was tired, because he was happy to see her, and because he didn't want her apologizing for her kindness, he hugged her. " _Iie_ , I'm glad you came."

 _I've missed you too._

 **~o~o~o~**

Naoki stacked his books, ready to go straight home at the end of a long day of case study presentations. "That's a nice one you got there, Irie." Nishigaki, a senior, said pointing to Naoki's stethoscope.

"It was a gift." Naoki said simply.

"Oh?" Nishigaki was intrigued. A 3M Littmann Master Cardiology Stethoscope was no mean gift.

"That's a gift from his wife Kotoko-san." Funatsu supplied. Not for the first time, Naoki wondered if Funatsu had a bit of a crush on Kotoko since he stammered whenever Kotoko was around and sang her praises when she wasn't. Then again, Kotoko was pretty incredible, so no surprise there.

"Kotoko gave this to me when I changed my major to medicine." Naoki explained.

A few days after the new semester had started, Kotoko had searched him out in the living room with a slender box in her hands.

"This is for you, Naoki-kun." She said shyly. Naoki opened it to reveal the top of the line stethoscope. It had black tubing with a smoke exterior finish. It was beautiful.

Then he saw his name engraved on the bell. "Kotoko," he breathed.

"Do you like it?" she said nervously, shifting from one foot to the other.

He shook his head and she stopped mid-motion. Naoki looked at her. "It's perfect."

"Really? I'm glad!" She said happily. "I wanted to give this to you when you changed your major but it took time to get here because they don't have it available in the stores I went to and even with the express shipping—"

"Kotoko."

"Hai?"

"Thank you." His small smile answered the brilliance of hers, thankful for far more than the expensive equipment.

 **~o~o~o~**

Naoki's phone rang as he parted ways with Nishigaki and Funatsu. "Oniichan, is Kotoko with you?" The tone of his mother's voice had Naoki worried. Did something happen?

"No, why?"

"Then you probably haven't heard the news yet."

"What news?" He repeated his question when his mother didn't elaborate further.

"Go find Kotoko, she needs you," Was her cryptic response before she hung up. Confusion coupled with worry rose in him as he dialed Kotoko's number. It rang a few times before going to voice mail. Naoki double-checked the time. It was still a little early and Kotoko would still be in class. He tried her number again but this time it went straight to voicemail.

"Kotoko, please give me a call."

He left a voice message then sent her a text as well. He walked over to her classroom where he recognized her classmates coming toward his direction down the hall.

"Irie Naoki," Marina greeted as the others also called out hellos.

Naoki nodded to them in greeting. "Have you seen my wife? She didn't pick up my call."

"Kotoko left before class started," Tomoko answered. She turned to Motoki. "Hey, you were talking to Kotoko just before she left. Did she say why?"

The bijin nursing student shook his head. "No, but she got a phone call then she excused herself. She left in a hurry. I started to go after her but she said to just go to class and she'll meet with us later."

"If you see her, please let her know I'm looking for her. Thanks." Naoki left, almost in a jog, vaguely registering Tomoko, Marina, and Motoki gushing _"did you hear how he said 'my wife!"_

 **~o~o~o~**

He made a quick search of Kotoko's various classrooms, yielding nothing. He headed to the station. Where was she? His call once again went straight to voicemail. Naoki was at a loss where to go then he remembered his mother saying something about "news." He quickly typed into his phone and understood exactly what she meant. He froze as articles populated the screen. Amidst the various recent news headlines, one stood out to him.

 ** _Aihara Corporation holdings fall 35% - is this the end for the culinary powerhouse?_**

Naoki scanned the article. Apparently his late father-in-law had been duped into an unsound venture. Encouraged by the good returns on his initial investments, in the few months leading up to his death, he heavily invested more into the swindler's company, causing the current massive losses. From the M.O., Naoki recognized the scam as similar to the one Pandai had invested in although the Aihara losses were much more substantial.

Naoki slowly lowered himself onto a bench, suddenly feeling weak. He knew Kotoko had to be devastated. After her father's death, she had taken a more active role in the company, visiting the restaurants and attending administrative meetings. Despite not being that keen on the business, she was invested and she did her best. He tried calling her again but to no avail. He ran back outside to the street and flagged down a taxi to speed to the main Aihara. Aside from the frazzled staff whom he assured were not losing their jobs, there was no sign of Kotoko. Chris and Kinnosuke promised to keep an eye out and to let Naoki know as soon as they heard anything new. He called each of the other restaurants just in case, but no one had seen her.

Desperate, Naoki logged into their joint bank account in case he could find a transaction that could shed light on her location but he came up dry.

 _Kotoko, where are you?_

He scoured all the places she might be that he could think of, but still nothing.

 **~o~o~o~**

It was almost midnight when he arrived home. His mother met him at the door and burst out crying when he shook his head. Just then Yuki came running out the door holding the cordless phone.

"It's Kotoko-neechan!" Naoki grabbed it and called out her name. The only response was the dial tone.

Yuki's voice was subdued. "She said to let you know that she's okay. She's safe and staying at a hotel but she wouldn't tell me where."

"Naoki," Shigeki turned to address his son. "I might have an idea what happened."

 **~o~o~o~**

Much like how he felt during the week leading up to his wedding to Kotoko, Naoki felt everything moving around him but he himself seemed to be stuck in slow motion. Time seemed to be moving in a different plane for him than the rest of the world. It felt like the night went on forever and morning couldn't come soon enough.

He didn't even try to attempt to sleep. Kotoko was out there hurting, most likely frightened, and he couldn't go to her. It stung that she hadn't come to him. They would have worked through this mess together. He would have supported her. However, knowing Kotoko, and coupled with his father's conjecture, her actions made sense in light of the knowledge he now suspected she was operating on.

 _The baka! She was wrong._

He had called hotels around Tokyo but of course none provided him with the information he sought. He spent the night in the living room, pacing restlessly, waiting for his wife to return home.

 **~o~o~o~**

The sharp trill of the doorbell had Naoki shooting up from the couch where he had fallen into an exhausted stupor in the early hours of the morning. His clothes were rumpled and he was in need of some strong coffee. _Coffee_. Kotoko made the best brew he had ever tasted. The thought that she might never make it for him again crossed his weary mind but he ruthlessly crushed it. He yanked the door open, her name on his lips, but it was just a courier who timidly handed him a small envelope. His heart leapt at the familiar script.

"Do you know where this was sent from?"

The courier named the hotel he had picked it up from that morning. Naoki thanked him and tore into the missive. It was three sheets of hotel stationary.

 _Dear Naoki-kun,_

 _Please forgive me but I am too much of a coward to face you. By now you must have heard the news. The Aiharas have lost a lot of money and can no longer honor our side of the marriage agreement. As much as it pains me, this is the truth and I am very sorry that you and your family have been dragged into this mess._

 _I have contacted my father's lawyer and you will be receiving some documents in the mail. I hope that this will at least soothe the injury that this misfortune has surely caused._

 _I will forever remember the kindness that you and your family have given me. When my father passed away, you comforted me and carried me through my grief. You were my rock in my darkest moment._

 _I have been very happy in your home, Naoki-kun. These past months have given me the family I had always wanted and I will never forget all of you. I hope that you will find happiness and be able to pursue anything and everything you've ever wanted. I know you'll be able to._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Kotoko_

No! None of this was her or her family's fault! Naoki crumpled the letter and threw it across the room in frustrated rage. What was she thinking? Did she think that they didn't want her anymore – that _he_ didn't want her? _'pursue anything and everything you've ever wanted?'_ And what if what he'd ever wanted was _her_? _What now, Kotoko?_

This wasn't the end for them. He vowed it.

A sudden insecurity assailed him. Did she want nothing to do with them? With him? Was she finding a way out? He shook his head. He knew her. He knew why she was doing this. His poor, misguided wife.

He loved her all the more for it.

"Kotoko?" His mother came down the hall with his father and brother at her heels. Naoki shook his head at the inquiry. Yuki picked up the crumpled letter and straightened out the sheets. He handed it to their parents as Naoki passed them and took to the stairs two at a time. In the short time it had taken him to take a quick shower and change into fresh clothes, the doorbell had rung again. He ran down the stairs but it was just another courier. Noriko closed the door and handed Naoki the legal-sized envelope that had been delivered.

The manila envelope was thin and wholly insignificant in appearance. However, it contained a small velvet pouch and a few crisp sheets of legal documents. The pouch held two rings which he immediately recognized. He clenched his fist around the cool bands of metal and precious stones. Although he had already strongly suspected, Naoki's heart still stuttered to a stop when he read the title of the document:

 _ **Petition for Dissolution of Marriage**_

Enough was enough.

He dialed his lawyer's number.

* * *

A/N: As always, thank you for the reviews! I really enjoy your thoughts on the story. I was especially entertained by the collective sighs and groans of disappoint and disbelief at Naoki's molasses-on-a-cold-winter-day-pace!

Special appreciation for GG and navi who commented on each chapter! I was flooded by the email alerts and I loved it! Thank you!

BTW, this stethoscope is the real deal. ;)


	14. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter 11**

Kotoko stared out onto the the twinkling lights of the city bathed in the gentle light of the setting sun. It was a lovely scene but she didn't see it, couldn't feel it. She wrapped her arms around herself, cold despite the comfortable warmth of the hotel room. She had done it. She had transferred Aihara Corporation and all its remaining assets to Naoki's name. To do with as he saw fit.

Unconditionally.

Only her mother's small inheritance was left to her. It was nowhere near as significant as the Aihara fortune—or what was left of it, just enough for her to strike out on her own. Perhaps she could get an apartment down south close to a local hospital where she could work once she got her degree. But she would think of all that later, after this had been settled.

She had spent all afternoon the day before hashing out the terms with her lawyer who insisted that she didn't have to transfer anything to Naoki especially as they had a prenuptial agreement. But Kotoko was adamant and the lawyer had reluctantly had to comply with her wishes. Early this morning, the documents had been delivered to Naoki. All that was needed was his signature for it to be finalized. Her entire body shook as she had read and reread the final document the lawyer had produced but her hand was steady when she signed her name.

The last time she would be signing _Irie Kotoko_.

She had done everything in her power to make the transition as smooth as possible but then Naoki's lawyer had contacted hers insisting on a meeting to work out some detail on the divorce settlement.

How much had changed in the span of a day. Yesterday, she had woken feeling extremely happy. After the lunch with Naoki at the office the previous day, she had decided that she would tell him that she loved him. Even if he didn't return her feelings, as long as he didn't outright shun her confession, she could love enough for the both of them. How little she could have foreseen the events that would change her life in the space of a few hours! Much like how she felt when her father told her about the arranged marriage, she was lost, disoriented, and more than a little frightened. But back then, she had felt some measure of relief after meeting her future husband. He was on the cold side, but he was not unkind. There was a strength and _realness_ to him that grounded her. Now, all she could see ahead of her was a vast, empty void.

Her heart ached.

The Iries… They were her family and she loved them. Okaasan with her cheerful and exuberant attitude, Papa with his jolly laughter and big personality, Yuki who tried to emulate his big brother but really was still a little boy...

And Naoki…

Naoki who made her heart flutter and caused her stomach to somersault. Naoki who made her throat go dry and her heart race. Naoki who was everything she ever wanted but she had to let go…

She and her family had ruined them. The Iries would probably disagree with her—they were too kind, too generous to think otherwise. But the fact was, their association with her family had dragged them into this scandal. She hoped that by taking herself out of the equation, the fickle market could trust the Corporation again and it could gain back what it had lost.

She was doing this out of love for them. How ironic. Her planned confession of love had turned into this act of dissolution.

 **~o~o~o~**

A perfunctory knock rang on the door before the person entered the room. Her lawyer was back. Kotoko spoke without turning.

"Takani-san, if you would please handle it. It's all his. I just want a day and time when I can have my things from the house collected." She rubbed her aching temples. "Would you please ask him?"

"You can ask me yourself."

Kotoko spun around, hand at her throat, eyes wide and _frightened_?

"Irie-kun." She breathed. Naoki felt a thrill go through him when his name left her lips. _But seriously, 'Irie-kun?'_

Kotoko's face was pale and drawn, haggard—as if she hadn't slept. He didn't look much better himself. She seemed to gather herself together and drew straighter. "I'm sorry for everything. I've informed my lawyer that I wanted nothing out of the divorce, everything's yours. There's really nothing left to discuss."

"Well, I suppose that's settled then," Naoki said and he saw pain flash across her face. "I've just come to collect what's mine."

Kotoko's already ashen visage grew paler. Tears welled in her eyes and she nodded. "I'm sorry, I was going to return it, I just— I haven't—" With shaking fingers she slipped off the Tanabata ring he had given her and held it out to him.

His throat felt tight. "That was a gift." He said coldly.

She dropped her outstretched arm, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion and her shoulders slumped. "Then what else is there? I just told you, Irie-kun, everything's already yours. I've sent you the wedding and engagement rings and you just need to sign the divorce papers."

"Is that it, Kotoko? No goodbyes?" He advanced into the room. "I thought we had become friends, partners. Maybe even more." He was angry. Kotoko pressed back against the window frame.

"Stop. Please." She held her arm out, palm toward him. Naoki stopped in the middle of the room. "This is hard enough as it is," she whispered, her expression tormented.

"Then why are you doing this?"

"I meant everything I said in the letter. But what I didn't mention was that I also found out that my father had told yours about the investments he made so Papa invested too." Her voice rose. "Don't you see? It's my family's fault that Pandai lost money. Twice! Once from bad investments and then again from Aihara's stocks plummeting. With this," she waved her hand, "well, it's the least I can do for everything." She finished weakly. She was just trying to fix things.

He _was_ right. Kotoko had it all wrong. The scam artists had covered up their tracks very well. Shigeki had not been aware that the ones who had scammed Pandai also had its clutches on Aihara. His father _had_ investigated after Pandai's incident and Aihara's investments _had_ checked out—showing how well the conmen knew their prey.

It was not his late father-in-law's fault and definitely not Kotoko's.

But Naoki was ruthless. "Exactly. 'It's the least you can do' so you can start by dropping this Irie-kun business. Why are you calling me by my last name, anyway?"

"What do you want then?" Her voice rose in frustration.

"Isn't it obvious?" He challenged.

Kotoko was getting more and more upset. " _Obviously_ not. So why don't you tell me." She crossed her arms over of her chest. She would give it, whatever else he wanted as his—just let this interrogation be over already!

"Do you love me?"

"What?" Her longing was surely clouding her hearing.

His voice softened. "Do you love me?"

Naoki stepped close until Kotoko had to look up to maintain eye contact.

"What does it matter." She sighed and turned away but Naoki reached out to hold her shoulders in a firm grip, staying her.

If she wouldn't answer, then he at least would say his piece. If she didn't feel the same way—well, damn it all but _he_ loved her. Without her he knew he had nothing to lose but possibly everything to gain.

He waved his hand tiredly. "None of this is your fault. It's not even 'tousan's fault. _But_ even if it were, I don't care. It doesn't matter." He tilted her chin up. "I would lose it all again. I would lose all of Pandai before I'd lose you." He looked her straight in the eye, making sure she understood his intent. "I love you. I want _you._ Only you."

Then because he was hurting, because he was afraid to lose her, because he loved her, he kissed her.

And it was everything and nothing at all like he had imagined it would be—because he _had_ imagined it, dreamed what it would be like to hold her like this, to kiss her like this. For her to love him in return. She froze in his embrace but after a beat, her arms came up around him and his tortured emotions felt a measure of relief that she hadn't pushed him away.

Then to his joy she was kissing him back—shy, tentative explorations that he could happily spend the rest of his life answering. With a muted groan, Naoki buried his fingers in her hair, angling Kotoko better against him. She fit against him so perfectly. He kissed her with all the desire and pent up emotion he had. He could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest—could she feel it too? Did she know what she did to him?

Necessity drove their lips apart, but their panting breaths played across their heated skin. Kotoko's gaze was wide and unfocused. "Naoki-kun—"

A coolness on her hand had Kotoko looking down. The rings she had returned to Naoki were back on her finger. She looked at him, her eyes large and full of wonder.

"I—" He laced his fingers with hers and raised her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "This is the only place they belong."

 **~o~o~o~**

"You haven't answered my questions." Naoki was half leaning back on the desk with Kotoko leaning against him. She flashed him another smile, one that was more brilliant than the rock on her finger.

She wiggled her digit. "I think these confirm my answer."

"Not _that_ question." He clarified. "Why were you calling me 'Irie-kun'?"

"Oh." Kotoko blushed and looked away. Naoki waited.

"I—" She stood straight and wrapped her arms around herself. "I thought that calling you by your last name would somehow make me feel—" she shrugged. " _Separated_ from you."

Trust Kotoko to come up with something like that. He wanted to wipe that sad look from her face. "Was it working?" He asked instead.

She shook her head with a sigh. "No. I don't think anything will work in that regard."

Naoki tugged on her hands and brought her back into the circle of his arms. "Good. I don't ever want you trying to distance yourself from me again." He kissed her jaw. "And the other question?" He whispered against her ear. Kotoko sighed at the sensation.

"Hmmm?"

"Do you love me?" He asked for the third time that day. Of course now he _knew_ , but he wanted to hear her say it. He closed his eyes as they stood, foreheads touching. "I hope you say yes, because I love you and I don't even want to try living without you."

Kotoko squeezed where her arms were wrapped around his waist and pressed even closer. "Then you'd be happy to know I've been in love with you for quite a while now."

If it was anatomically possible for his heart to jump out of his chest, Naoki knew it would have already happened. As it was, he simply held her tight and resumed kissing his wife.

They stumbled sideways and he collapsed onto the couch, dragging Kotoko on top of him. Their hands tangled in each other's hair, too busy to care about finesse or pace.

He needed her above anything and everything and with his very being, he wanted her know it.

It was finally happening but Naoki hazily knew that they needed to stop before they got any farther. Kotoko deserved better than this for her first time. He wanted more for her than a heated entanglement on some hotel floor.

He slowed and kissed her lightly as he drew away.

"Naoki-kun?" She was breathless but so was he.

He brushed her hair from her cheek. "Let's go home." Her face was flushed and her lips were kiss-bruised to a ruddy red.

"Okay." She sounded disappointed.

"But first we need to go to the Aihara. I think your staff would like to hear about their job security straight from you." Kotoko slowly nodded in agreement. "Then we're going to the University."

Her eyebrows drew together. "Why?"

"We're taking the rest of the week off."

"But there's still two days of classes left before the weekend!"

"I know. But I've just found you and we have much more important things to do." At Kotoko's confused expression, Naoki cradled her face in his hands and brushed a light kiss across her lips. "We have plenty of lost time to make up for." Another kiss. "I really want to make love to you and I can't do that _thoroughly_ at home." His voice was rough and colored with desire. Kotoko trembled in his arms and her hands on his chest fisted at the images his words conjured. "Do you have any objections?" Everything stopped as he waited for her answer.

She had to gulp twice before her voice could cooperate. "None at all." His heart started racing again.

He nodded once. "Good. Besides, I still owe you a proper date—the first of many."

* * *

A/N: Just the epilogue left dear readers.


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Her. Always _her_ first and foremost, he silently vowed as Kotoko gazed at him with a hint of trepidation but nevertheless with overwhelming trust and love. He vowed to never break that trust, to never jeopardize her love. The emotions surging through him, even more than the physical sensations, was drowning him in its foreign intensity. But her hand in his provided an anchor which kept him from backing away at the unfamiliar vulnerability and instinctually throwing up walls in self-defense.

If kissing Kotoko was bliss itself, then making love to her was heaven. As could be expected, their first time wasn't flawless, but somehow it was still perfect. It was the promise of something better, the physical avowal of their love. There was pain, but there was also comfort—and always, pleasure.

Much later, as they lay tangled in the sheets and each other, Kotoko brushed her fingers across his cheek. Her touch was cool against his heated skin and he welcomed it.

"Let's make a promise." The moonlight played across her face, casting it in light and shadow. "A promise to always talk to each other so we don't have any misunderstandings."

"I'd like that."

Then they sealed it with a kiss.

 **~o~o~o~**

The doors opened and the waiting crowd filed into the auditorium in an orderly fashion. A pretty petite young woman cooed at the bundle in her arms as the rest of the family settled into their seats. An older lady snapped photos left and right but mostly of the baby in the mother's arms.

"You're so precious, aren't you, Kotomi-chan?" The grandfather said fondly.

"It's about to start," a younger man in the party said unnecessarily as the pianist began playing.

"Your Daddy is giving the special address for the graduating class, Mi-chan," the mother whispered against her daughter's downy head. "There he is at the head of the assembly." He had been the top board passer in the country, a distinction that Tonan University was extremely proud of. His scores had been a cut above the rest, a record that still stood even after two years.

Kotoko clasped her weeks-old daughter to her chest, proudly looking on as her husband stood to address the next batch of medical and nursing graduates who were ready to change the world.

 ** _End_**

* * *

A/N

Final count: over 23,000 words, 57 pages.

Words cannot express how grateful I am for this experience. Thank you, dear readers, for the support you have given me throughout this story and for the boundless joy reading your reviews and messages has given me.

xoxo

~n

P.S. An M-ending is still in the books. Look out for it under 'Simple Pleasures' likely sometime next month. ;)


	16. Epilogue - extra

**Epilogue - extra**

It gave him a feeling of déjà vu and he was even _more_ nervous than he was that first night. His mother had been extremely ecstatic and embarrassingly encouraging when he told his parents that he was taking Kotoko for a break _just_ _by themselves_ to let her regain her equilibrium after the recent events. He didn't expound any more than that but then his mother was always ready to provide any possible scenario that could potentially grant her grandchildren. Naoki could feel his ears warm at the memory of his mother hugging Kotoko tightly as they said their goodbyes and loudly whispering that "I hope you come back with _positive_ _results_!" Naoki resisted the urge to roll his eyes – as if they would know _that_ soon. Besides, they were still in college, for goodness' sake! While they hadn't discussed the subject of children yet, he was sure Kotoko would agree with him that they were not ready to have a child at this time. Thankfully the older Mrs. Irie's meaning was lost on Kotoko who merely nodded her head obediently. The bathroom door sighed open and Naoki suppressed a smile before turning to look at his wife.

"Naoki-kun." She practically squeaked.

"What is it, Kotoko?" He strode to the bathroom where only her face and neck were visible.

"Uhmm, well –" She was clearly uncomfortable. "No, don't!" She screeched when Naoki made to push the door open farther. "I'm not dressed!" She closed her eyes in apparent mortification, her face going beet red.

 _Well, well. It's not like he planned on having her dressed for very long_ , Naoki thought wickedly before ruthlessly tamping down that lecherous thought.

"Didn't you pack pajamas?" He asked instead. They may have progressed more in their relationship in the past 24 hours than in any of the months since their wedding, but he wasn't so naïve as to think that they could just jump right back into where their making out the previous day would have led had he not controlled himself.

Kotoko nodded, her forehead creased in consternation, and confirmed that yes, she had packed said clothes. "But somehow nothing I've packed is here and instead there are clothes I've never seen before." She was looking everywhere else but him. Naoki sighed internally. This sabotage had his mother's prints all over it. "Uhmm… Do you have a shirt I could borrow instead?" Her innocent question had Naoki's recently overly imaginative mind immediately conjuring an image of his virginal bride in one of his button-down long-sleeve shirts, the hem skimming her thighs, the buttons mostly unfastened… He reigned in his rebellious mind with rising horror at how quickly he was getting ah, _stimulated_ , where Kotoko was concerned. He nodded and rummaged in his bag at the foot of the bed. He grabbed a clean T-shirt.

"I only have this but I'll go run down to the gift shop—"

"No, this should be fine." She shook it out. "It's long enough." She smiled at him now, seemingly more comfortable now that she had something else to wear than – what he was guessing was – revealing if not outright lingerie in her bags. She closed the door and emerged less than a minute later. "Your turn." She said cheerfully, brushing past him and settling at the dresser to brush out her hair.

When he left the bathroom, Kotoko was no longer in the bedroom and he could hear the television playing in the living area. They had eaten on their way to the hotel so there was nothing left to do besides going to bed – and he really was hoping to use the bed for an activity not at all related to sleeping. Kotoko was sitting on the couch, her knees pulled to her chest – and it just showed how petite she was that his shirt had enough material to be tucked under her legs without flashing too much skin. She was, to all appearances, calmly braiding her hair over her shoulder but Naoki could sense rather than see her nervous energy. A tug made itself known in the vicinity of his heart as he sat next to his brave, selfless wife. To think that she was willing to throw away her inheritance, not to mention the entire life she knew just to protect him and his family. His heart surged with love and warmth for her. Kotoko stilled when Naoki laid a hand over hers and she allowed the ebony strands to slip from her fingers. She peered at him from under her lashes, her white teeth worrying the edge of her lip.

"Come here," he said quietly and hugged her to his chest. She wound her arms around him without any hesitation and in that moment, Naoki felt supremely content just to be able to hold her like this for the rest of the nigh. They had the rest of their lives to do the _other_ things he had wanted to do, after all.

Kotoko calmed as Naoki held her. His heart beat strong and sure beneath her cheek. She loved him and he loved her. She could weep just from the sheer joy of it. To think that the she thought this was forever beyond her reach just a mere day before. But then he had come for her in her self-imposed exile and declared his love for her. They had finally kissed and she new enough to know that it would have led to _more_ if Naoki hadn't checked them to propose his incredible idea to go away for a few days. She wanted to continue what they had started but she felt shy now that they were here. It felt somewhat similar to the night of their honeymoon but still very different – for one, she held no fear of the future with Naoki _and_ , she really wanted _something_ to happen.

"Shall we go to bed?" Naoki dropped a kiss onto her head but made no move to release her. He mentally patted himself on the back at the calm, almost disinterested tone he managed to use. He felt Kotoko stiffen and while he was a little stung by her reaction, he was quick to add _"_ to sleep" in assurance. He pushed against her shoulders so he she could look him in the eye. "I meant what I said back then – we won't do anything you aren't comfortable with." He caressed her cheek, voice gentle. "I've waited all this time – I could wait longer." He stood and gallantly held out a hand to her. "Well, my dear wife, shall we go to sleep?"

Kotoko gazed up at him and she decided. "No." She shook her head emphatically. "You're wrong." A look of confusion crossed Naoki's face. She placed her hand in his and rose from the couch. Quickly, before she could lose her nerve, she placed her right hand over his heart then tentatively, cautiously slid her hands up his chest, to skim his neck until she was cradling his face. He simply stood still, allowing her to continue. She stared at his lips, saw his Adam's apple rise and fall as he swallowed. "I—" She brushed her thumb over his lower lip, entranced at the way his lips parted from her touch. "I don't want to wait." She whispered.

His heart skipped a beat, did she say what he thought she said or was his imagination playing havoc with his mind _again_? But no, her touch was real, her gaze was real. This was real. His wife had just expressed something she wanted and with all that was good, he would damn well would make sure she got it. He read the truth in her eyes and that was all the permission he needed before capturing her lips in a searing kiss. There was nothing polite, or tentative about it. He had glimpsed how physically passionate and responsive Kotoko could be and he was determined to stoke the fires of her ardor into a frenzy. He swung her into his arms, not once breaking the kiss as he carried her into the bedroom.

Naoki threw back the covers and lowered Kotoko onto the bed. He pulled off his own shirt before reaching for her again. He glanced at her to assure himself that she wanted this – that he wasn't moving too fast. She nodded and placed her hands over his as he pulled her makeshift nightgown higher and higher, slipping it off until she was only in her panties. _Tiny panties_ that while managing to cover the important parts, were still blatantly seductive. _And_ he highly doubted his wife wore _lace_ for everyday use. He cocked an eyebrow at her and she reddened, her arms held across her breasts. He knelt on the bed, eyes never leaving hers and approached her on all fours. She bit her lip again but her eyes were laughing. She eagerly returned his kisses and they were lost in each other.

Her. Always _her_ first and foremost, he silently vowed as Kotoko gazed at him with a hint of trepidation but nevertheless with overwhelming trust and love. He vowed to never break that trust, to never jeopardize her love. The emotions surging through him, even more than the physical sensations, was drowning him in its foreign intensity. But her hand in his provided an anchor which kept him from backing away at the unfamiliar vulnerability and instinctually throwing up walls in self-defense.

"Kotoko." His voice was low, reverent. "I love you." He brushed the hair away from her face. "You're perfect," he whispered before lowering his mouth to hers.

If kissing Kotoko was bliss itself, then making love to her was heaven. As could be expected, their first time wasn't flawless, but somehow it was still perfect. It was the promise of something better, the physical avowal of their love. There was pain, but there was also comfort—and always, pleasure.

Much later, as they lay tangled in the sheets and each other, Kotoko brushed her fingers across his cheek. Her touch was cool against his heated skin and he welcomed it.

"Let's make a promise." The moonlight played across her face, casting it in light and shadow. "A promise to always talk to each other so we don't have any misunderstandings."

"I'd like that."

They sealed the promise with a kiss.

* * *

A/N:

Tada! Due to popular demand, this is a more _fleshed out_ but still-appropriately-rated honeymoon scene. Muahahaha Wander over to 'Simple Pleasures' in a week or two for the grown-up version. It's already written, just doing final edits. The first part up until they get to the bed should be the same content.


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